Paradise Valentine
by butterfly collective
Summary: Set after my Christmas story, this is just a little one on Valentine's Day in Paradise. Claire gets a secret Valentine and is a outlaw gang going to show up and ruin their celebration?
1. Chapter 1

Claire didn't know who'd sent her the Valentine.

She'd been teaching classes at the schoolhouse mostly the younger students and she'd taught them about the history of the holiday. They even planned a small party on the day itself where they'd eat small cakes that were donated by Scotty's bakery and pass around handmade cards to each other.

But when she'd returned to her desk, she saw a carefully crafted card lying inside a plain envelope that revealed itself when she opened it. Delicately ornamented with hearts and outlines of flowers and someone she knew to be Cupid.

When she looked inside to see who'd delivered it, there was no signature, just something in writing that said Be My Valentine.

It mystified her because she didn't know who it might be. She knew who it wasn't and that was Dakota. But then her crush on him had ended when she realized that he viewed her as no more than a kid sister even though she'd turned 16, an age when some girls still married in smaller towns. But she had no plans to get married at all…at least not until she'd done some traveling and gone to college.

Ben walked over to where she sat holding onto his primer.

"Claire…what's th…that in your hand?"

She smiled at him and handed it to him to look at and his eyes widened as he opened it.

"Who sent it?"

She just shrugged having no idea. Ben had a few of his own.

"It's Axe…Axelrod's nephew…"

That surprised Claire because she barely knew Charles who was just a year older than her but he'd moved in with his uncle after his parents died of some plague. He'd lived on his own for a while until he found his uncle. Axelrod actually had softened up a bit since Charles arrived. He was a nice enough boy but Claire didn't think it was him.

"Why are you so sure Ben?"

"John Taylor said he liked a girl but couldn't talk about it."

Claire frowned.

"How do you know he meant me Ben?"

Her brother just stared at her. George joined them, picking up her card and looking at it.

"It's from that…Lukas…"

Claire remembered him. He lived at a ranch working as a hand and she'd tutored him in reading just like she had with Uncle Ethan. But although he seemed grateful did that mean he'd send her this card?

"How do you know George?"

He just shrugged and went back to his seat. They were all waiting to be dismissed for recess and Claire couldn't wait to go run into Charles. She'd done Axelrod's books in the past for his store and she had heard him mention Charles in passing before he knew he'd be living there.

Clara came up to her and as the oldest student in her class, Claire made sure she felt comfortable with her learning. She did it so quickly but then Amelia had said she was bright. It was a pleasure to tutor her before and after classes to help her make up lost time.

She looked up and saw Dakota walking towards her. She knew that he'd treat her like she was even younger than she was and she'd smile and be good natured about it.

Even though inwardly, sometimes she wished that one day he'd look at her and see something different.

Clara and Rosie were in the kitchen watching while Scotty taught them how to bake delicious desserts for the Valentine's Day party in a couple of days. Now today's batches were rough drafts and they enjoyed eating them just off the stove. He'd been a wonderful teacher, very patient as he had taught his own wife Mary how to cook though she stuck to running the books for the hotel and saloon.

* * *

Amelia walked in and sampled some of the desserts. It was just after noon so it was safe for her to eat. The mornings, still very difficult to even let at food let alone eat it not that she minded. She'd found herself getting more excited about the child that would enter into the world in just under five months. No one really could tell yet but she'd told people a week or so ago and people reacted with excitement already planning a baby shower for her.

Babies were still a rarity because families were just starting to return to Paradise and times had been tough which meant fewer families wanting to add another mouth to feed and shelter. Of course, the wise thing might have been to wait until times were better…or she was married first! But when Ethan found out about it on Christmas Eve, after he whooped about it a bit he set on getting her to the altar. It only took a week and the two of them were married in front of their friends on New Year's Eve not long before the clock struck midnight.

She'd been a bit nervous mostly because of all the times that some crisis or another had interrupted their prior weddings but this time, they finally made it through the "I Dos" as John Taylor had told her would happen and they were man and wife.

They still had the house to build, one that hopefully wouldn't get burned to the ground this time and he spent most of his days including this one building it. Other men including Tiny and Charlie put in some time too and it was nearly finished.

It was on the same spread of land that Ethan finally owned free and clear and the old house would make a good home for the ranch hands they planned to hire to help run the spread.

"Amelia how are you feeling…?"

She smiled at Rosie.

"Better now that it's not morning," she said, "These cakes are delicious."

Rosie beamed.

"Scotty's really been helping us teaching us new things."

He chimed up.

"They're quick learners," he said, "You going out to check on Ethan."

She nodded.

"I'm bringing him some lunch," she said, "I thought I might add some dessert. He loves the spice cookies."

Rosie went to find a dozen of them fresh off the stove and Amelia put them in the basket gratefully.

"Tell him hi for all of us," she said, "and we want to throw you both a house warming party."

Amelia thanked her and headed out to get on the buggy to go out and see her husband.

When she arrived there, she saw him taking a break under a shade tree and after tying the buggy up, she went to see him. He got up and he met her more than halfway, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"I brought you some lunch."

He kissed her thoroughly and when they came up for air he stroked the tendrils of hair off her face.

"I can see that…come and join me…"

They sat down while she put out a spread including the spicy cookies which he was happy that she'd included in the basket. He always made sure she had plenty to eat when she could eat and he'd helped her through some of those tough mornings, when she didn't feel well. He doted on her so much it took a while to get used to it. She'd always been someone who relied heavily on herself, and had been slow to trust anyone's assistance. It'd been that with Ethan when he'd shown up to help back her up when some father of a bank robber she'd killed had sworn he'd come after her. He'd asked her why he hadn't sent word to her as if it was a given that she should have done that.

He'd saved her life.

"The house looks nice…"

Ethan sipped some water and picked up some bass.

"Tiny was out here earlier working on it," he said, "He built the framework for the nursery."

She smiled.

"We can always add more rooms later."

She chuckled.

"Okay that'll work…it just looks so perfect…I'm not the best with a needle but I have been working on some curtains for the windows."

He reached over and kissed her just because he wanted to do it. He liked this being married a lot more than he thought he would when younger.

"So you got plans for Valentine's?"

She still felt his kiss on her lips.

"No…I was kind of waiting for this man to ask me to the dance."

He wagged his eyebrows.

"Got anybody in mind?"

She paused and then nodded, her eyes sparkling.

"Maybe…"

He smiled.

"If I play my cards right will you go with me?"

She paused even longer and then nodded.

"I like the way you play your cards."

He drew her in his arms and she loved being wrapped up in his warmth as they both sat looking at the new house.

* * *

Claire put her hands on her hips.

"Dakota…what do you want now?"

He looked taken aback.

"Hey I just came here to say hi," he said, "on my way to the saloon to try out Scotty's baking."

She knew he meant Rosie's baking because she figured he'd been sweet on her for a while now. After all, they hung out together at the saloon for ages or so she heard.

"You haven't seen Charles have you?"

Dakota shook his head.

"No I've been scouting all day," he said, "heard some talk that some outlaw gang might drop by and cause trouble."

She sighed.

"What else is new? So are you going to the party?"

Dakota drew a blank.

"The party…?"

She nodded.

"Yes the Valentine's Day party and dance…at the Saloon."

He shrugged.

"I might drop by," he said, "I'm on duty most of that night but if it's slow…"

"Rosie will be there."

Another blank.

"Rosie?"

"You know Rosie…"

"Yes I know her," he said, "Used to be a saloon girl but now works as a cook for Bella Rogers."

Claire smiled.

"You should invite her to the dance. She wants to go."

He shrugged again.

"Maybe I will….she's a lot of fun."

Claire frowned at that because she'd heard a lot about his type of fun. But she thought that underneath it all he might have a good heart. After all, he was a very good deputy even her uncle said so.

"She's in the saloon. It's a good time to ask her," Claire said, "You can walk over with me."

Dakota fell into step with her as they went to the saloon to join the others.


	2. Chapter 2

Claire admired the decorations that Scarlett and some other women had crafted on the tables in the back room of the hotel.

"They're beautiful."

She fingered the doilies that were shaped like hearts with little hearts and flowers in between. All different colors, all done carefully by hand. Claire wasn't known for her sewing skills though she could repair a dress or a pair of trousers and knit some socks. But as far as doing something truly artistic, all she could do was admire the talent of others.

Scarlett smiled.

"Thanks Claire…found out who sent that secret Valentine?"

Claire's eyes widened.

"You know about it?"

Dorothy chuckled while carefully cutting out another doily.

"The whole town knows by now," she said, "You know how word gets around when something different happens."

Yeah Claire definitely knew about that but still…all she could do was smile at this point. The other women awaited an answer.

"I haven't a clue…Ben and George think it's someone different but I don't know…"

Rosie looked up.

"It's Lukas…he's always had a soft spot for you."

Claire didn't know about that but they'd spent time together as he learned how to read. He was a quick study and had a wit about him that she liked. He wasn't bad to look at either. Not like…she couldn't even think about him but Lukas treated her like an equal and not a child.

Dorothy spoke up.

"Could be the other guy…Axelrod's nephew…Charles?"

Claire nodded.

"That's his name but I don't think so…he's so quiet and shy…"

Not exactly surprising considering who he was kin too…but he hardly said anything when she saw him. He seemed smart and treated her nicely.

"He's not like his uncle," Rosie said, "Seems pretty nice to me."

Dakota walked into the room to sample more desserts that were cooling off. Practice runs for the main event. Rosie slapped his hand away and Claire just knew she liked him.

"Dakota stop it…"

He looked at her playfully.

"Stop what Rosie?"

She put a hand on a hip.

"Taking all the sweets…"

He finished the cookie he'd taken and then looked at her.

"Not all of them…"

She blushed and Claire just wanted to roll her eyes. Dorothy just shook her head at the couple.

"So you are going to this dance Rosie?"

He asked all casual and she just looked at him.

"You asking me deputy?"

Dakota smiled.

"I guess I am," he said, "unless you're already spoken for that is."

She looked at him, and then shook her head.

"I'll go with you…but I thought you had to work."

He touched his hat and smiled.

"Not the entire night," he said, "Plenty of time to do some dancing."

Rosie nodded happily. Claire could tell that she really liked him. Even when she'd been a bar girl….she'd seen him in the saloon often enough when she'd been in the restaurant part of the hotel.

"Okay then…I'll meet you there…and I'll be waiting but not too long."

Dakota looked up and saw that Charlie had entered in the building, heading towards him. Something must be going on outside.

"What's up?"

Charles sighed and handed him a paper. Dakota looked at it and then back up at Charlie.

"Does Ethan know?"

Charlie shook his head.

"He's out working on his house but he'll ride in here soon."

Dakota sighed. He'd recognized the drawing as being the ringleader, Carlos of one of the most notorious bank robbers in the area. He'd hit a half dozen of them and so far no one had died though one person had been gut shot.

Claire stepped forward.

"I could go find him," she said, "Classes are done for the day."

Dakota shook his head.

"We'll wait…this guy's gang isn't as violent as some of the others…of course that could be about to change."

"Just what we need right before Valentine's Day," Rosie said, "Someone to come and rob the bank."

"The party won't be ruined," Dakota said, "Ethan and I will keep an eye out for them."

Claire knew that they would do that as they had always done before. Charles nodded.

"I'll keep an eye on who comes in and out of town as well," he said, "are those cakes over there?"

Rosie nodded and handed him one. Charlie had a weakness for sweets too.

* * *

Amelia and Ethan held hands as he walked her back to her buggy. She'd stayed with him after lunch talking with him as he worked on their house. Handing him tools and watching as nailed pieces of wood together.

"Ethan…you've done so much of it."

He smiled at her.

"Tiny and Charlie and some of the others will be helping after Valentine's Day," he said, "should be finished in a couple of weeks."

"Then we can move in," she said, "the boys will sleep in the loft and Claire can sleep downstairs..."

The two of them had walked the floor plan after the framing had gone up. They didn't argue as much as they did last time about what room went where. Life had its mellowing effect.

"The kitchen and the living area…dining and…"

She finished for him.

"The nursery…"

He squeezed her hand and drew her into his arms, kissing her for a long moment. Afterward she looked up at him.

"So I take it…you're going to be ready?"

He smiled stroking her face.

"Looking forward to it…"

They continued walking.

"I never expected to well…I wanted children but it did happen quickly."

He nodded.

"Yes it did…"

She continued.

"Not that I'm worried about that because I know everything's going to be fine."

"I can't argue with that…"

She looked over at him.

"I…I just hope I'll be a good mother…"

"You're good with the children."

She loved them like they were her own; it'd been as simple as that. Even though she'd left them for a while, she'd missed them like with Ethan.

"They've been very patient with me."

He ran his hands down her side until they settled on her waist and then he looked at her.

"You're a good mother…you don't have anything to worry about."

She sighed.

"I knew my own mother but she was always out with the horses on the ranch and her father…he didn't like my father at first…until he realized that my mother's place was with him."

He didn't know much about her but he'd been changing that, asking her more questions about her background. Learning a lot that surprised him and other things that didn't.

"You miss them?"

She thought about that as it'd been ages since she'd seen her parents. All she had were some faded photos she kept in frames and she'd already come to terms with the fact that she'd never see them again. A whole world beyond what could be imagined separated her. Since the sea displayed little variability from one day to the next, when she thought about the journey to her new country, she measured it in days, weeks and months.

"Sometimes…but I didn't choose to come here…it's what they wanted for me."

"I didn't know my own parents," he said, "I would have been an orphan if not for Lucy."

She reached up to stroke his face.

"You've got a lot of family and so do the children," she said, "including their new uncle and aunt in Virginia City."

"What about you?"

She considered that question.

"I had three brothers," she said, "One died of a snake bite so fast he took about three steps before dropping dead. One is still in Australia and the other came here with me."

Ethan raised his brows.

"You have a brother here?"

She nodded.

"Andrew…or Andy as we called him," she said, "He's a year older than me."

"You have seen him?"

She shook her head.

"I hoped I might run into him in my travels but of course I didn't."

Ethan saw the wistfulness on her face that she had lost track of him. He'd been so close to Lucille but there'd come a point when they'd gone different paths.

Only to be reunited. She'd thought of course he was a successful merchant in Paradise and it just seemed more difficult to correct her.

"I know I'm never going to see him again," she said, "It's just with the baby, there's a part of him…my father and mother…it just reminds me."

Ethan felt that way about Lucy knowing that since she died too soon to finish raising her children, and now…she'd never know how her younger brother made out.

"I'm not sad about it Ethan…I just think about it sometimes."

He tied his horse to the rear of her buggy and then got up next to her. He knew that being without her family had affected her.

"I think I always have…I married Pierce too young…but I thought if I had a family…"

Ethan understood that feeling only too well. He hadn't opted for marriage to deal with it but he'd hidden behind his gun slinging to avoid thinking too much. But when the children had come into his life, he had to stop running.

They drove back into town and she leaned against him so their shoulders brushed. They both shared a family now, what they both wanted.

He thought about the wedding, standing at the altar waiting for her to walk down the aisle towards him. Dakota managed to get him to stop from meeting her halfway. But after all it'd already taken long enough…

They reached the town and pulled up in front of the saloon where Dakota and Charlie stood waiting. He knew they wanted to talk to him.

"What's going on here?"

Charlie looked serious.

"We need to talk to you about what just came from Stockton."


	3. Chapter 3

Ethan just looked at Charlie.

"What about Stockton?"

Charlie sighed.

"Another bank got robbed," he said, "and the posse chased the gang out of the town. Then they robbed another bank not too far away."

Ethan looked at Dakota who just walked up to them. Dakota finished off a cookie.

"What direction they heading in?"

Charlie shrugged.

"They lost them…about five miles south of Willow Creek. Haven't picked up the trail yet."

Dakota looked at Ethan.

"Could be heading to Paradise," he said, "We're on the way…especially if they want to wind up in Virginia City."

Ethan considered that but they'd dealt with so many gangs before and it could be that this one would just skip Paradise.

"You think they'll skip us," Charlie asked, "Just head to Virginia City?"

Ethan sighed.

"I don't know if we can take that chance," he said, "We'll just have to keep an eye out for them…have the ranchers keep an eye on the main road."

Charlie nodded.

"I'll do that…don't want any more trouble like we had last year."

Ethan looked at Amelia but she didn't say anything then he looked at Dakota.

"You can deputize Tiny and a couple other men to be security," he said, "including at the party."

Dakota nodded.

"I'm working that night," he said, "though I promised Rosie I'd meet her later to get a couple dances in."

Charlie chuckled.

"The two of you back together?"

Dakota shot a look back.

"It's just a party…"

"And a dance…"

Ethan raised a brow at Dakota.

"You even know how to dance?"

Dakota paused.

"I know how to dance…not the waltz or anything like that but I can do a two-step."

Amelia smiled.

"It's not that hard to waltz," she said, "Ethan can give you some advice."

She winked at him and he remembered how they'd done the waltz at their wedding reception. Ethan never fancied himself good on his feet in terms of dancing but when the music started playing, they just fell into their own rhythm and the rest of the world had faded away.

But Dakota looked wary.

"I think I can handle my own dancing Ethan."

Ethan nodded.

"Fair enough…just remember we'll both need to be keeping our eyes open."

Ben and George came running to the wagon and climbed aboard it to get a ride back to the ranch. They sat together in the back.

"Ben's got a girlfriend…"

Ben hit George on the arm.

"D…do not…I do…don't like girls."

Ethan and Amelia looked at each other.

"You might change your mind about that later on Ben," Ethan said, "But what happened at school."

George smiled widely.

"He got a Valentine from Emily."

Ethan furrowed his brow.

"Who's Emily?"

Amelia smiled.

"She's the little girl of Tyler McDermott, the man who bought the saddlery."

"They seem to be settled," Ethan said, "His store's already attracting a lot of business."

She nodded.

"Becky…his wife has joined the auxiliary for the church…she's interested in getting some new windows."

Ethan remembered when the shootout had blown the upper windows near the crow's nest into the building.

"We're going to raise money to pay off the loan," Amelia said, "Cameron the new banker was willing to provide it for the church."

Cameron had proven to be just the buyer the bank had needed and when he'd signed the papers of ownership, Amelia had stopped working there. She went back to spending more time working at Bella's ranch on the books. They had sold some nice horses clean broke and saddle trained to some military units and a couple of out of town marshals. They also had started bee hiving for honey which they sold to Axelrod and other customers.

"That'll look nice," Dakota said, "Not that I ever sit in church but it'll look better from the outside."

Amelia agreed.

"Maybe in a month or two we can decide on how to rebuild them."

"Some of us have offered to help," Ethan said, meaning the men.

She rubbed his arm.

"Then we just needed the stained glass delivered."

Ethan tugged on the reins.

"Let's head on back to the ranch," he said, "Claire's going to join us later."

"Claire got some candy," George offered up, "From her secret Valentine."

Ethan clucked to the horses.

"That's nice," Amelia said, "She have any idea who gave it to her?"

Ben and George shook their head then both offered up their theories.

"Charles."

"Lukas…"

Amelia had heard of both and so had Ethan. Claire had been friendly with both of them but in a casual way.

"It could be someone else…"

Joseph had hopped aboard while the horses walked slowly before they'd pick it up on the main road. Both George and Ben looked at him as if waiting for him to finish but he just dropped it after that.

"How is Doc Carter doing?"

Joseph sighed as he sat down between Ben and George.

"He's very busy…we both are busy," he said, "Ever since the fever…"

Paradise had an epidemic of sorts mostly at settlements among the river front on its way to spilling into the lake. They got ill with it and then went through stages of recovering and then getting ill again a month or so later. It puzzled Doc Carter and he'd expressed his concern about it to most of the town's businessmen but it had seemed to be isolated to those areas without spreading.

"He thinks I should go to that college in San Francisco," Joseph said, "to help me become a doctor."

Ethan and Amelia knew that was Joseph's dream and his plans both to earn enough money working for Doc Carter to go to college. But that was still another year away and Ethan put off thinking about it. He wanted his nephew to make his way in the world but he still sometimes saw the 14 year old boy that he'd met several years ago.

Joseph shared details of his day as they headed on the main road back to the ranch.

* * *

Claire calculated the sales that Axelrod had made during the week and ran the numbers through one more time. She kept coming up a bit short no matter what she did. Across from her, Charles was cleaning out some inventory and replacing it with new product on the shelves. He saw her face.

"Any problems?"

She paused.

"Maybe…I don't know why these numbers don't add up right,' she said, "I know that we lost some on those discounted items."

Charles joined her and she knew him to be a handsome young man with dark hair and glasses which accentuated his green eyes. He didn't look much like his uncle who ran the store. Axelrod who was the town's grumpiest man.

Charles on the other hand always smiled though he wasn't boisterous. He was almost a little bit shy but she read much more to that in his eyes when he talked to her.

"You're probably right…my uncle should trust you more than he does with correcting his mistakes."

"I don't know if it was his mistake," she said, "it might have come from someplace else."

He looked intense for a moment.

"He'll want to know if you tell him."

She sighed.

"I have told him and he has yet to fix it. He's stubborn and very set in his ways when he thinks he's right."

Charles smiled.

"That sounds just like him…now don't get me wrong. I appreciate what he did when I lost my parents and he being the only relative but…he seems to disapprove of me even when I work hard for him."

Claire shook her head.

"I know he cares about you Charles," she said, "I hear it when he talks about you…you're one of the few things he seems to care about."

Suddenly the door opened and in came Lukas son of one of the ranchers. He was built more solid in muscle than Charles and stood an inch or so shorter.

"Hi Lukas…"

He smiled and removed his hat for a moment.

"Hi Claire…how you doing?"

She smiled at him.

"Good…how about you? How's the reading?"

He nodded.

"I practice every day…I got through the reader."

"Good…keep it up," she said, "I'll meet with you after school on Monday to get you a new one.

He put his hands in his pockets looking at her.

"You going to the dance?"

"The what…oh the Valentine Dance," Claire said, "I don't know…you going?"

He didn't seem certain and then Charles spoke up.

"I don't know if I'm going," he said, "It seems silly…I don't dance."

Claire arched her eyes.

"You don't…anyone taught you?"

He shook his head. Lukas chuckled.

"I thought your uncle would have given you some lessons," he said, "if you're going to be a city boy."

Charles sighed.

"I'm not a city boy and I can dance…I just said I don't."

Lukas shrugged.

"Claire you sure you don't have a date?"

She sighed, putting her hands on her hips.

"You asking…because you'll need to do a better job at it."

Charles bit his lip, not wanting to get caught laughing. Lukas just stared at him as if to scold him. Claire wondered what was going on with both men.

Then Dakota walked into the store which made it even worse. What was he doing here? Why wasn't he spending time with Rosie? She smoothed off her dress.

"Hi Dakota…need anything?"

He smiled.

"Just looking for a gift for my date to the dance."

"You mean Rosie…"

"That is her name," he said, "She agreed to wait up for me when I got off from being a deputy."

Claire gritted her teeth.

"That's nice of her….why don't you have Charles show you some nice gift items?"

Charles perked up and Dakota shook his head.

"I'd rather have you help me," he said, "You're a girl after all…who better to know what Rosie likes?"

She didn't really want to help him but she didn't want him to leave either.

"Okay…"

She reluctantly took him around the store while both Lukas and Charles watched. She felt like she was on display for all of them and didn't like it. But she had a job to do.

* * *

"Amelia…"

She smiled at Ethan as he came out to their garden where they grew winter vegetables.

"You finished?"

He'd done his own chores and had come out to check on her, make sure she wasn't working too hard. She stood up brushing her hands together.

"I'm done too…maybe I'd better help Claire start some dinner."

He took both of her hands in his own.

"Maybe…but I have something to show you first."

She smiled at him.

"What?"

He smiled warmly at her in a way that made her heart skip a beat.

"It's a surprise…"


	4. Chapter 4

Amelia walked out with her husband into the barn. He'd been spending quite a bit of time there at night from when he got back to late supper. She followed him and when they got inside of it, he held onto her hand.

"Where is it?"

He smiled at her.

"Over here…

He led her to an empty stall and she looked to see where something had a cover draped over it. She stood there and he pulled the cover off.

"Oh Ethan…"

He looked at her.

"You like it?"

She went to go look at it closer. It was a baby cradle, carved out of wood and it looked quite lovely. She ran her fingers over its smooth surface.

"I didn't know…"

"Me neither until Tiny taught me," he said, "I'd always wanted to make things out of wood and he showed me how…this is my first."

"It's beautiful Ethan," she said, "and it'll be just perfect."

She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. He tightened his hold on her as they stood there.

"It's perfect for the new house too."

He kissed her on the mouth.

"I can't wait to move into it."

"You think the children will like it?"

He smoothed her hair back.

"It's got more space," he said, "though we might have to add onto it later."

Amusement sparkled in her eyes.

"That confident aren't you?"

He kissed her again giving her his answer.

"I always wanted to give my children better than what I had growing up."

She caressed his face with her fingers.

"You did that Ethan with the children," she said, "and you'll do it to those we add to our family."

He held her close kissing her again.

* * *

Claire had been doing her lesson plans after cleaning up in the kitchen. Ben had been teasing George about his Valentine.

"Don't got a girl…girl friend."

George folded his arms.

"Do so…"

"Do not…"

"Do so…"

"Do not…don't say that."

Claire sighed getting between them.

"George…stop teasing him and Ben, Emily's a very nice girl."

Claire knew that Ben had been nice to Emily when she'd first started school after arriving in Paradise. Mostly when no one was looking but it seemed that the girl had a crush on him. Claire could understand what it felt like to have an unrequited one so she had urged Ben to be nice to Emily.

"Not…my girl…girl friend."

Claire sighed.

"Okay Ben…but you've got homework to do so come to the table and finish it…you too George."

They both did and got started working soon enough. Claire returned to her own studies but she'd tucked the Valentine in with her satchel and took it out to look at it. She still had no idea who had given it to her, whoever it had been had, as her uncle might put it, hid their tracks well. She had been talking to both Lukas and Charles and well, it could be either one of them but if so, which one? And what if it were someone else?

She thought of Dakota but she knew it wasn't from him. It'd never be by him until she could convince him that she was grown up enough and could get him to drop some of his more unseemly habits like drinking and gambling. But he seemed unapologetic and the women who hung around him were of the same ilk. He certainly was protective enough of her but more like she was a little sister.

She opened the elegantly designed card again but there hadn't been a signature. Maybe it was just from one of her shier students.

"How many days until the party…?"

She didn't look up.

"Two…and get back to your homework," she told George, "You have a test tomorrow."

He groaned a bit at that. But Claire knew he'd be happy enough at the party which would feature games, music and plenty of good food. For the adults, there'd be the dance of course and this year she wondered if anyone would take her. Maybe either Lukas or Charles though she thought the latter might be too shy to ask. She'd go with either one of them as she wanted to go and have a good time.

Someone knocked at the door and George went to answer it. Claire warned him to ask first because her uncle often had either long ago friends or enemies bearing a grudge coming to call on him.

"Who is it?"

"John Taylor…"

George swung the door opened and the Indian walked in embracing the boy. Ben got up too and went over to him.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see you and to talk with your uncle."

Claire knew enough about John Taylor to know if he came looking for anyone, it was for good reason.

"He's in the barn with Amelia," she said, "It's nice to see you."

John Taylor smiled at her. George piped up.

"Are you going to the party?"

John Taylor just smiled more widely.

"I'm a hermit George but I do enjoy parties."

George nodded and went back to his seat. The door opened and Ethan and Amelia stepped inside the house. Ethan arched his brows when he saw John Taylor there.

"Hi…I take it this isn't a social call."

John Taylor shrugged.

"Partly not…but it's always good to drop by."

"We'll talk outside."

* * *

The two men stepped outside into the darkness.

"I heard you're expecting some bank robbers."

Ethan rubbed the back of his neck.

"Not expecting…just keeping an eye out for them."

"They're going to show up here Ethan," John Taylor said, "Buck and his men…they're about two days north of here."

Ethan didn't bother to ask how he knew this because his friend had his own way of getting his information.

"I've heard of Buck…didn't know he'd picked up another gang."

Buck had been a cousin of the group of armed robbers who had held some of the town's folk hostage in the hotel about two years ago. One of the most grueling experiences he'd faced mostly because he had to spend most of the siege standing outside the building unable to do anything but wait. Not the favorite pastime for a man of action like him. But he knew those men had left a trail of dead people including women and children on their way to Paradise. The town had been divided along financial lines in terms of how to handle the robbers and inside the hotel, even the brothers had been fighting each other as Claire had explained to him afterward.

"I didn't know he'd ever come here," Ethan said, "After what happened to his cousins. Unless he's decided to avenge their deaths."

"Maybe he'd just been too busy until now."

Only one of the robbers had survived long enough to get hung. Ethan had wanted to just shoot him dead in the street for what he'd put the hostages through including his family including the woman he'd married. But he'd let the law take over from there and now if Buck was coming to town…they had to be ready for him and his gang.

"Ethan, you don't know why he's coming here," John Taylor said, "For revenge, to rob the town…or something else."

"No I don't but Dakota and I will keep a watch for them," he said, "and I'll wire the nearest cities to alert them."

John Taylor nodded and then he went back into the house to go talk with the children. Amelia walked out and she saw the troubled look on his face.

"What is it?"

He told her what John Taylor had told him. He knew she remembered what that gang had been like, better than he knew. He knew what she'd done, pitting them against each other to fracture the gang so that they had come to blows several times.

"So you think he's coming after you for what happened to his cousins?"

"I don't know…won't know until he and his gang gets here but Dakota and I'll be ready."

She looked concerned but she just nodded. She'd accepted what his job as marshal brought to them.

"Just be careful Ethan…the both of you."

He cupped her chin with his hand and kissed her on the mouth, touching it when he'd finished.

"I'll do that…and it's going to be fine…"

She looked at him.

"I know…"

She knew enough to know that worrying didn't do any good. Ethan knew how to take care of family and himself.

"Looking forward to the dance?"

She nodded.

"You know Dakota might appreciate some tips from you," she said, "on some of the more difficult steps."

He smiled and as he wrapped his arm around her, they walked back into the house.


	5. Chapter 5

Claire watched as Lukas tried to practice his reading. He had gotten much better at it since he'd decided to get help from her after she taught her classes. She had to take off from her job at Axelrod's mercantile early on two days a week to tutor him.

"So do you think you can handle another assignment?"

Lukas looked up at her and nodded.

"Anything you can give me," he said, "I like the adventures."

She thought that he might like _Tom Sawyer_ when he moved on to more complicated books. She had read him a couple chapters of it in the beginning and then told him that he'd be able to read it on his own soon enough. Lukas had turned out to be a quick study, bright and he'd moved through each assigned story more quickly than the last.

"You might enjoy some of the stories that Mrs. Applegate has in her library."

Mrs. Applegate had collected them from her travels before she'd moved to Paradise and had been generous in allowing Claire and others who liked books to access her assortment. Her favorite so far had been _Little Women_ and sometimes she fancies herself being like Jo March only without having any sisters of course.

"You are going to the dance?"

She looked up at him from where she sat in the classroom.

"I don't know Lukas," she said, "I might be busy with my lesson plans."

He smiled.

"Oh come on Claire…it's just one dance," he said, "You can take the evening off from your work."

She shook her head.

"Every time I think that I can, I remember all I have to do," she said, "I work two jobs and help run the ranch including the house."

"All work and no play," he said, "But I know what it's like to be so busy you can barely think."

"How's the ranch?"

He sighed.

"Cattle looking good," he said, "We sorted out the ones for auction. Beef's gone up in price so it should be a good year."

"So you are going to the dance?"

He just looked at her.

"Don't know…depends on whether I finish my own chores…and if I can find the right girl to go with me."

She smiled looking away a moment. She liked Lukas though he usually seemed more focus on his ranching than anything else…except maybe his reading lessons.

"You should go…there's lot of people who are going to be there…"

"But you said you're not going…"

She just stared at him. Why was he asking her these questions? Did he want her to go with him…did he have anything to do with the secret Valentines?

"I said maybe…I'm not sure yet," she said, "No one's even asked."

"No one…?"

"Yes no one…"

"I can't believe that," he said, "A girl as nice as you?"

She sighed.

"My brothers think I'm just bossy."

Lukas shrugged.

"You're just looking for them," he said, "That's all…"

She nodded.

"I know…I just wish they understood that…what about you?"

He paused.

"My brother Zev died…his horse got snake bit and fell on top of him."

Claire shook her head.

"That's so awful Lukas," she said, "I'm sorry about that."

"It's not your fault Claire," he said, "Things just happen. You can't stop them, just have to live with them."

She knew that he spoke the truth but she'd struggled with that herself when her mother had died leaving her to keep her siblings together…all the way from St. Louis to Paradise on the train. Then when they'd showed up, their uncle had been lying shot up in a hotel and Amelia had stepped into the role of looking after them. She'd even helped Ethan sort himself out in terms of how he'd best look after his sister's children.

"I know but it doesn't make it easier."

Lukas couldn't argue against that and he didn't, he just returned to reading his book. Both of them harbored residual pain from the tragedies which had robbed them of those they loved. But both of them had refused to stop living their lives.

"I do have an uncle," Lukas said, "But I don't know him. Heard stories…he's some colorful guy."

Joseph walked inside the school house interrupting them. Claire just looked up at him.

"What is it Joseph?"

He looked grim.

"I overheard Uncle Ethan talking to Dakota about some bank robbers that might be heading our way," he said, "they're going to keep an eye out for them."

Claire just sighed thinking it never ended. Some bad characters were always dropping into Paradise and causing mayhem.

"Said it's related to the robbers who holed up in that hotel not long after we came here…"

Claire remembered that time. She and George had been with Amelia and Scotty's son inside the hotel when a gang of robbers had stormed through the hotel. Shooting one guy dead and blocking anyone's escape. Joseph and Ben had been with Uncle Ethan outside but they had been helping him rescue them. Claire remembered how she and Amelia had kept themselves busy to stay alive.

"I thought they were all dead…either there or by hanging."

Joseph shrugged.

"I guess not…if one or more of them is still running with some gang."

Claire hoped the gang wouldn't come to town and cause trouble or hurt people. The town had been through so much in the past year with everything coming to a head not too long ago. Its residents needed some time for some peace away from the violence that shook the town to its foundation as often as not. When those robbers had been holding hostages in the hotel, the town had split up in different fractions on how to handle the robbers and whether the hostages were worth saving. It hadn't made her happy when she heard what transpired afterward but she didn't let it distract her.

"They're going to have a meeting tonight," Joseph said, "I think I'll check it out. You are coming?"

Claire looked over at Lukas and he picked up his bags.

"I got to leave anyway," he said, "If some gang is coming to Paradise, I want to do my part."

He gave Claire one look and then left the schoolhouse.

* * *

Amelia had her hands on her hips and just looked at both Ethan and Dakota.

"Absolutely not…"

Dakota suppressed a smile and looked at Ethan.

"I believe that's your answer."

Ethan sighed. He'd known he'd be facing an uphill battle when he proposed his plan for Amelia and the children. Namely that they'd be staying in town under armed protection if the robbers came looking to avenge their cousins. Ethan knew that if anyone was targeted it would be him because he led the efforts to bring them down.

"Amelia…I want you to be safe."

"I want you to be safe too," she said, "and I'm not going to hide somewhere when you're out here."

He heard the resolution in her voice.

"I don't want anything to happen…"

She looked at him with a smile.

"We'll be fine," she said, "Besides we have the party and dance which is what this town needs after everything that happened."

She didn't like to dwell on the past too much but she knew that celebrating Valentine's Day would serve as a good diversion while the town got back on its feet.

"It might not be safe…"

"It's hardly ever safe here these days," she said, "After what happened…"

He grew silent because he knew what it'd been like for her.

"I'm living my life Ethan," she said, "and now that we're married, my place is with you…The children will be fine."

"They'll be staying in the hotel…"

She considered that and then nodded.

"Okay…we can all stay there just for the holiday," she said, "but living in an armored camp, it's just going to make it harder."

Ethan looked over at Dakota.

"I just don't want them to get the jump on us…"

Dakota rubbed his forehead.

"We could deputize some men," he said, "Starting with the ranchers. They're better with the job."

Ethan nodded, not wanting a repeat of the likes of people like Amos and Axelrod serving in that role.

"We'll do that…if Buck's going to come here to avenge his cousins," Ethan said, "We'll know soon enough."

Amelia agreed with him but she knew that she had to trust him enough to put her fears aside. She knew he was where he needed to be but that didn't mean she didn't worry. She just channeled it better now than she had in the past. Ethan turned towards her.

"You hungry…?"

She smiled.

"More than this morning," she said, "You want to join me at the saloon?"

He nodded and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"When we killed those men, I had no idea there were more of them."

She sighed.

"Ethan you did what you had to do," she said, "They were going to kill us after the federal guards cornered them. We both did what we had to do."

Ethan remembered that she'd shot one of them who had Ethan in his sight. She'd backed him just as she'd taken care of Claire and George during the siege. Claire told him what Amelia had done to keep the robbers at odds with one another. He didn't want a repeat of that for any of them. So if Buck had plans to come here and terrorize anyone, they had to cut him off before he got here.

He just didn't know if they had much time.


	6. Chapter 6

Amelia knew that Ethan hadn't been happy about her vetoing his plans for her and the children to live under armed guard. She knew why he wanted it that way. Because most outlaws knew that the best way to get under his skin was to threaten his family. More than one of them had tried that and Buck's cousins had chosen to hold onto their hostages at the hotel because they were women and children. Even when Ethan had offered himself up in their stead, all that had done was to make the outlaws even more aware of his Achilles heel.

But she knew that she could help him if necessary. She'd been around guns and had learned to fire one while growing up back in Australia. Her father hadn't wanted her to grow up in a world of mostly men without being able to take care of herself including while in the Outback. Ethan knew that she could handle a gun but she realized that part of it had to do with her being shot by his gun…back a couple of years ago when she'd shielded George during a gunfight.

When she found out his bullet had hit her, she felt badly for him because she knew he'd feel guilt over it and he had saved her life even from a jail cell.

Now he just stood there with Dakota and made plans for if the latest bunch of outlaws with grudges showed up in Paradise.

"Amelia…so you'll stay in the hotel."

"If you stay with me," she said, "I am not going to let you stand out here by yourself. It's just not happening Ethan."

He drew her closer and she fell into his embrace.

"I just want you to be safe."

"I'll be fine," she said, "The children will be fine and they're so excited about the Valentine's Day parties."

"But…"

"Ben got his first Valentine from that girl named Emily. Though George's been teasing him about it."

Ethan smiled. When he'd been Ben's age his life had been so harsh that he hadn't had much thought about the holidays or celebrating them but he remembered how Lucy had once made him a little cake out of practically nothing for Valentine's Day once or twice. She couldn't always remember because reality didn't leave much room for it but she did whatever she could to let him know he was loved.

It was that lesson that she'd given him that would carry him through the roughest patches of his life, parts of it he could barely speak of except to the woman next to him. She'd heard most of them and hadn't judged him.

"Claire's got a secret admirer and someone promised me a dance or two."

Ethan sighed.

"But things are different now…"

She nodded.

"What's different…there's always an outlaw band or two that thinks they can ride in here and cause trouble…"

"You're…you're…"

"With child, you're trying to say right?"

He nodded and she smiled at the things that made him struggle for words.

"That's true but Ethan; women have been dealing with that since long before us. I remember back in Australia how difficult it was for many women away from the settlements and towns. They survived much harder…"

He stroked her face but she knew he didn't feel much comfort from that.

* * *

Claire looked at Charles as he pored over the books she had just amended for his uncle, Axelrod. Then after a moment he looked up at her. He had glasses on and he pressed them off his nose with a finger.

"You're right…there are numbers that are wrong."

She nodded.

"A few in this week's ledger columns and more last week," she said, "I did some time working as a teller in the bank when Amelia owned it and I've checked your uncle's books for over six months and this is recent…"

He sighed.

"I'll have a talk with him about it."

She narrowed her eyes.

"That won't make him upset with you will it," she said, "I know that it's been difficult…"

"We get along all right," he said, "He kept me from being an orphan."

She remembered when Charles had first come to town and had gone to live with Axelrod. She knew what that had saved him from because if Uncle Ethan hadn't been willing to take in her and her brothers, who knows what would have happened to them? After all, she had seen what had happened when the so-called orphan trains came to town. She felt for the orphans including ones that her family had helped…it must be horrible to be hauled from town to town hoping some stranger would take you in for the right reasons.

Some had been exploited as work animals and were treated as such and some others faced far worse than that. She had been lucky, her brothers had been and Charles too even though Axelrod could be so difficult to deal with most of the time.

"My uncle did that for my brothers and me," she said, "So we do all we can to make it work. Managing the ranch and the household when he has to leave town…"

"Must be difficult…"

"Sometimes…but since he's married now, it's nice to have another woman…in the family…it makes it easier."

"My uncle never got remarried…after my aunt died."

Claire thought that Axelrod didn't seem interested in much else but running his business and in getting involved in the town's affairs. But she didn't know much about his wife because she'd never met her since she and her brothers arrived in Paradise.

"So you are going to the dance?"

Claire looked up at Charles who'd just asked that question so casual.

"I don't know, I haven't decided yet."

"I have to be there," he said, "My uncle gave me extra work to do…to help him at the party."

Claire smiled.

"I'll be at the party for the students," she said, "but I'm not sure after."

"Do you know how to dance?"

She looked up at him and saw shyness in him that she hadn't really noticed before.

"Yes my mother taught me…before she died," she said, "She was an entertainer."

He seemed to digest that knowing that they had in common, not living with their parents. She wondered if Charles had been the one who gave her the secret Valentines. Being that he seemed so shy sometimes, maybe he just didn't feel able to tell her that.

The door bell announced a visitor and both of them looked to see Dakota walk into the store. Charles looked at him.

"Anything I can help you with?"

Dakota looked over at Claire.

"I'm looking for a present…for a special lady."

Claire smiled at him.

"There are plenty of nice things to choose from on the shelves…did you have anything in mind?"

He smiled back at her.

"No…I think I'll know it when I see it."

She didn't want to know more. Not that it mattered to her because her silly crush on him had ended long ago when he'd made it clear he viewed her as a young girl…a little sister maybe. The thought of that just made her want to groan…but she realized as time passed that he'd been right. He gambled, drank and had different girlfriends. Not the kind of man she should think about at all…but she liked him even if he'd never see her any differently than he did now.

"Tell me if you need any help…"

He winked at her.

"I'll do that…"

She settled down to look back at her ledger pushing him out of her mind. When she'd gotten the first secret valentine for a split second…no…it couldn't be she thought, feeling silly.

Still she gave him an occasional glance as he searched the shelves for a present for someone else.

* * *

Amelia tried one of the cookies as Rosie pulled it out of the stove. Scotty had pulled out another recipe from his family archives and Rosie wanted to try it out. So she put the ingredients together, cooked them and the delicious aroma attracted everyone's attention.

Everyone in the room had wanted to try a cookie and Amelia found them delicious. Her stomach had settled for the day and she looked up to see Ethan talking to Charlie. It must be about Buck and his gang roaming around out there.

She didn't want to think about that right now. But she knew that Ethan was concerned. Three brothers had been shot by Ethan, John Taylor and her and now they had a cousin who was heading to Paradise. She knew how deeply family ties lay, including among outlaws. She had once shot a bank robber in self defense and he'd turned out to be 16. His father and brothers had shown up to collect his body at an impromptu funeral and they'd sworn vengeance. She'd kept that to herself until word got around town and her customers tried to withdraw their money from the bank en masse.

If it hadn't been for Ethan, she'd have been shot dead but he'd found out what had happened and had shown up inside her house to help her.

Rosie walked up to her.

"It's going to be a great party tomorrow…"

Amelia smiled.

"I hope so…."

Rosie paused.

"I heard about Buck and the outlaw gang…Scotty was talking about it…maybe he won't show up."

Amelia hoped so…she hoped he and his gang would just pass Paradise by but she didn't count on it.


	7. Chapter 7

Ethan left the hotel where he'd settled the children in one room while he and Amelia would share another with a suite between them. Claire had told him that the boys would be working on decorations for the children's party the next day. George had stopped teasing Ben about Emily being his girlfriend and they both settled down to express their more artistic sides.

Claire had given them directions on how to do that and George had gotten into right away with making a horse which didn't have much to do with the holiday but at least kept his mind occupied. She had to stop the two of them from running through the hallways. She hadn't been thrilled about leaving the ranch and staying in the hotel again but she knew she had to do her part to help her uncle and Amelia.

Ben walked up to her with his own version of a heart.

"How do...do you spell Emily?"

Claire smiled.

"Sound it out…remember it's sounds and letters…that you put together to form a word."

He tried that and got it right after a couple attempts. Ben had trouble in school with reading but she didn't understand why as he was clearly whip smart. She switched from thinking about the boys now that they'd calmed down a bit to wondering who her secret admirer could be. She'd thought it had to be either Charles or Lukas and that either one might have reasons for not disclosing their identities. Charles was quite shy in general and Lukas seemed quiet about her.

She had seen how Charlie watched her when she got up from doing the books and helped Dakota pick out a present for Rosie. Rosie had broken a few hearts but Claire didn't think that applied to Dakota who finally picked out a stylish pin for her. It was shaped like a boot spur which Claire supposed some women might find appealing as a gift to pin on their clothes but it just seemed…well like Dakota. But it's not like he'd taken any of her advice.

No one had asked her to the party and dance yet but she knew she'd attend on her own if not with someone else. She'd just volunteer to run the refreshment table or run the contests.

The door opened and Joseph came in after working a day with Doc Carter.

"How long are you staying here?"

She sighed.

"I don't know…Uncle Ethan just said we can't go back to the ranch."

Joseph sat on a chair in the living area.

"I'm glad I'm staying with Tiny," he said, "rather than in the hotel."

Claire didn't mind the hotel as much and at least it'd make their uncle feel better that they were safe from whatever was coming to Paradise. She'd heard about Buck, and she remembered what had happened when she'd been held hostage in the hotel.

"It's only until Uncle Ethan is sure that Buck's not showing up…or that if he does, he's stopped before he hurts someone."

"His cousins died in the hotel," Joseph said, "They'll be after revenge and Uncle Ethan and Dakota had better be ready."

She knew that her brother wanted so much to help them in that fight but her uncle would never allow it. Joseph would argue that he'd helped Ethan before even saving his life but his uncle would have the final word.

"I could handle Buck," he said, "if he tries to hurt anyone."

The last thing Ethan wanted was for Joseph or any one of them to get involved.

"Joseph…you're to do what Uncle Ethan told us," she said, "which is to wait and do what he says."

She knew Joseph didn't like it but ultimately that's what he'd do. He just seemed restless about waiting to see how it played out. She felt that way too but she'd grown used to crises since they moved to Paradise.

This was just another one and she felt that it would blow over soon enough, that her uncle would take care of it before anything bad happened.

* * *

Amelia watched Ethan and Dakota read the wires at the marshal's office.

"What's happened?"

Ethan looked at her.

"Buck and his gang robbed another bank. Maybe Virginia City is their ultimate target."

"They'll still have to pass by us," she said, "and if he wants revenge."

Ethan didn't even want to think about it. He knew that Buck probably knew by now who shot his brothers dead. He'd killed one, Amelia killed another before he could shoot Ethan and John Taylor killed the one who'd been for a while, a patient. What if Buck decided to target each one of them? The thought chilled him.

"That's why I wanted you back in the hotel with the children."

She sighed.

"I'll be all right," she said, "So should we cancel the party?"

He shook his head.

"No…I'll draft some men to help me make sure nothing happens."

She nodded.

"Maybe he'll just keep moving on to the next town."

A possibility but she didn't believe it. Dakota walked back in the room.

"A couple more posters were dropped off," he said, "some deputy who rode off again."

Ethan flipped through them and saw several sketches of Buck and some of the outlaws he associated most closely with between robberies.

Then he saw something that made his eyes widen. Amelia watched him.

"What is it Ethan?"

He paused.

"It's…Pierce…your ex husband."

He showed her the sketch on the poster which showed that he was wanted for land fraud and stealing people's money.

"Good reward," Dakota said, "though it sounds like no one knows if he's still alive."

Ethan watched Amelia's face when she heard that. She'd loved the guy once but that ended after he left her stranded in Paradise with the bank she built while he skipped out to avoid his angry marks. But then he had a way of popping in and out of Amelia's life and his…when he encountered him in Virginia City on the run and had wound up leaving with signed divorce papers.

He didn't like the guy at all. Even though he'd helped save him when he'd been locked up in a jail…which should have left him grateful but he had still distrusted the man.

Now he did more than that, he'd decided if Pierce showed up in Paradise, he'd shoot him. He didn't think that he'd get any argument from Amelia. In fact she already looked if not angry, just as if some old injury had been reopened.

Nothing to do with her marriage to the man…it had been what came later when he'd been the target of the wrath of two men in San Francisco. He had conned the wrong people out of the wrong parcels of land and they'd gone looking for him.

Ethan didn't know if they'd ever found Pierce.

"Ethan, it's all right," she said, "I'm past wanting to kill him if he's still alive."

Dakota spoke up.

"He was…when he was spotted two weeks ago in Carson City."

Ethan and Amelia looked at each other. Dakota just sighed.

"Someone will catch to him sooner or later," he said, "It doesn't sound like any of his victims will mourn him."

Ethan didn't think people would miss the conman who'd generated Ethan's ire when he'd used Amelia to steal money from her to pay off some angry customers in some land fraud deal. He'd been set to testify in Sacramento but of course, that never happened.

"I still will kill him if he ever sets foot in Paradise."

Amelia grabbed his arm.

"No Ethan…it's over with and we're married now and…"

They just looked at each other. But she knew he'd wanted vengeance since he'd found out the truth and she just didn't want anything to happen to him.

"We're going to have to focus on Buck and his men," Dakota said, "keep them from disrupting our celebration."

Outlaws loved wreaking havoc on holidays because towns were more vulnerable at those times to rob of their valuables.

But if Buck showed up Ethan knew he wanted much more than that and he knew that he had people to protect to stop anything from happening.


	8. Chapter 8

Ethan and Amelia settled down in their hotel room to get some sleep. She felt so tired after the final preparations for the party that she knew she would fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Someone had prepared a bath for her so she could relax and before Ethan had returned from the wire office where he'd been waiting to hear the latest word from different places on Buck and his gang.

She had been a bit thrown when the name of her ex-husband had been invoked as somehow being involved in this situation. How could he be tied with a bunch of brothers who wanted to avenge the deaths of a bunch of other brothers who were their cousins? Then again, she'd found out more about Pierce than she'd ever wanted to know. God, she really hadn't known the man she married at such a young age…too young but he'd seemed so dashing and exciting coming from a world much different than hers. But he hadn't been independently wealthy as he appeared, he had grifted most of that money in one scam after another. She hadn't been any the wiser because she had been subjected to the biggest scam of all, their marriage.

She'd suspected as much even before he left her in the darkness of night but she disregarded her own misgivings about the man she married. Then one morning he'd been gone, leaving her alone. If he'd broken her heart, she'd kept it to herself, she couldn't afford herself the luxury of feeling that way. She had a bank to run, to keep afloat so the town that she never liked would not fall apart too. If she could do that, then she might just survive.

The way her father had taught her before she left home to come to the United States. Her plans after Pierce bolted was just to keep the bank afloat until she could sell it…all the way up until four children arrived and their uncle was too shot up to take care of them. So she stepped in until he recovered.

She'd wound up falling in love with a gunslinger turned marshal and it had been the bumpiest of roads to get where they were now. They'd gotten married and as she lay a hand on her abdomen they were going to add a child to a household filled with children. She got ready for bed before her husband returned and when he walked into the room, he smiled at her and swept her in his arms, holding her tight…just before kissing her.

"You're done already," she asked.

He brushed a tendril of hair off of her face.

"I am and I'm here to make sure you get plenty of rest," he said, "I know you're tired and it's normal and all that but you need to get some sleep."

She smiled at him as he started undressing for bed, unbuttoning his shirt after pulling off his boots.

"It is normal…or so I've been told," she said, "this is all new to me."

"It's new to me too but in the best way."

She watched as he stood in front of her wearing his night clothes.

"So what's the news on Buck?"

He sighed.

"The trail's gone cold on him," he said, "He and his gang could be anywhere…probably not near a town because no more banks have been robbed."

She paused.

"The children settled down earlier after Claire came up," she said, "They know something's happening but not what."

"It's just hard to believe that the men in the hotel had cousins that would want to avenge them."

"It happens in the world of outlaws," Ethan said, "They might kill each other but no one else has that right."

Amelia didn't understand it, or the peculiar code of outlaws but she knew that Ethan wouldn't let anything happen and with Dakota and others to help him, they could stop the Buck and his men before they even crossed into town.

"Those men were ruthless," she said, "but they fought each other and that gave us an edge."

Ethan remembered hearing the story from the children before he approached her and she related it to him…though he already knew she downplayed things that happened to her. But she told him she did what was necessary to divide and conquer anything to give the hostages any advantage in a situation where they had little.

"Buck won't get far…some ranchers volunteered to keep an eye on the roads."

That had helped them get the upper hand before and they would need it this time.

"John Taylor's at his vantage point near the lake keeping watch."

She sat down on the bed.

"I hope Buck decides to pass this town by," she said, "but I don't think there's much chance at that."

"We'll be ready for him if he does show up."

She lay down on the bed and he joined her getting beneath the covers. She snuggled against him and he wrapped his arms around her.

"I don't want anything to happen to you," she said, "but I know you'll be careful."

He kissed her forehead.

"I just want you and the children to be safe."

"I know…we'll be fine Ethan…"

He sighed.

"Buck and his gang…the trail might be cold but they won't get the jump on us."

Amelia hoped that he was right. Few outlaws got the jump on Ethan but there had been some exceptions. Like the out of work miners that had ambushed them while they were traveling to Virginia City. He had been no match for five of them and even when they were beating and kicking him, his main concern for her was to run away as fast as she could to escape.

But he'd gotten out of bed and fought his injuries to go look for her and he'd taken care of the miners after warning one of them to quit while he was ahead.

"I didn't know Pierce was wanted again," she said, "He's always one step ahead…"

She didn't want to think about him and she didn't want to see him. She was over wanting to kill him on sight but after what had happened…

Ethan squeezed her tighter against him and she rested her head on his chest.

"Maybe he's dead Ethan…"

"He was seen in Carson City so he must be still alive."

She paused.

"Someday that'll change," she said, "Someone will do it…someone he's conned out of their life's worth."

Ethan figured as much as he'd seen it happen so many times before. So far Pierce had been lucky though Ethan had knocked him down some pegs more than once including when he'd first run into him.

"I know I should care but I don't," she said, "I just can't forgive him."

Ethan didn't say anything and she knew that her husband had been hoping he'd cross paths with Pierce to take him down a few more pegs.

"I don't know how to begin to understand why he did it."

He stroked her back and she relaxed against him, her eyes feeling heavier. The warmth of his embrace made her feel safe and secure, feelings that had been foreign to her for so long.

"Let's get some sleep…"

She smiled as she closed her eyes, drifting off.

* * *

Claire woke up and opened the room door and there she saw a box on the floor. She picked it up and it had her name on a little card attached.

Another Valentine gift from her secret admirer…whoever he might be. George and Ben got out of bed and joined her.

She opened it up and found what looked like some dried wild flowers in an arrangement with a ribbon. She picked it up and admired its beauty.

"Who gave you flowers," George asked.

Ben looked at his younger brother knowingly.

"Her boy…boyfriend."

Claire just looked at them both as she replaced the flowers back in the box.

"I don't know who sent them," she said, "This is all a surprise to me."

It had to be someone who was able to get into the hotel or give it to someone who had access but that didn't narrow down who it might be. She thought by now the person would have revealed himself instead of keeping his secret.

This was all so mysterious but she liked that.

* * *

Amelia woke up and saw that Ethan had begun to get dressed. She just looked at him as he turned around to look at her.

"Is it late?"

He shook his head.

"I'm taking you to get some breakfast," he said, "Claire's going to take the boys to school."

She stretched her arms.

"How did you sleep?"

She smiled at him.

"Very well…I'm feeling hungry."

"Not…sick at all."

She stroked his cheek with a couple fingers.

"Not at all…I hope it's passing."

She went to get out of bed to get dressed. After breakfast, she'd be at the saloon helping prepare the food for the party at the schoolhouse. Then she'd head on over to help Claire with it. After she got ready, she and Ethan left the hotel noticing that the children were already heading to the schoolhouse having eaten their breakfast.

Valentine's Day had just begun.

Not too far outside the town's limit, a group of men on horseback moved towards it ready to settle a score.


	9. Chapter 9

Ethan and Amelia ate breakfast served by Scotty in the dining area and she felt relieved that her stomach didn't bother her this morning. For the past couple of months, she'd felt like she couldn't eat in the mornings. Sometimes she could handle bread and this weak tea that Bella had taught her how to make. She didn't remember how Bella had gotten the recipe but it had done the trick.

"You heading to the school?"

She nodded.

"As soon as I pick up the food from the kitchen."

She had planned to help Claire and the other teacher Ella with the party, setting it up after they'd finished their morning lessons.

"I'll see you later then."

He bent over and kissed her on the mouth as he got up to head to the office. She held one of her hands on his shoulder as they kissed. When they parted, he smiled.

"I can't wait Ethan."

She watched him leave and as usual, she felt a moment when she hoped that he would stay safe. The sense of concern about him because of his lifestyle never completely left her but she'd learned to keep it in perspective. Still she treasured every moment they spent together.

She got up and went to get the refreshments from Mary in the kitchen, and they put them in baskets wrapped up. The aroma smelled delicious.

"I just finished them," Mary said, "Scotty's preparing for the dance tonight."

Most of the town would be attending as it was one of the biggest social events of the year. It gave people a chance to put aside the problems that had hit Paradise including with its businesses for a few hours anyway.

"He saved me some dances," Mary said, "and I'm going to hold him to it."

Amelia smiled remembering how the couple had faced a crisis that she and Ethan had unwittingly discovered after a man had been found brutally murdered between the saloon and Amelia's old house.

Ethan had been the last person to confront the man after he insulted her, throwing him against the wall in public so that many of the town's people believed he'd done the deed. But the reality had been far different and after the truth came out, Ethan and she decided to let it remain a secret. Just one of many hidden in the town's history.

"I made some cider for the children," Mary said, "Actually Scotty did. I can help you take it over."

Amelia smiled.

"Okay, why don't you stay for the party?"

Mary sighed.

"I'd like to but I've got to get ready for the party here," she said, "Rosie and Scarlett and a couple other women are going to help but there's still a lot to do before tonight."

"I'll help you later on if you'd like."

"Amelia, you might want to get some rest between parties," Mary said, "I know what it's like to be expecting and at the end of the day, I felt wiped out."

Amelia could relate to that on most days but she took good care of herself and she had a husband who doted on her, more than she thought he might.

"I'll be fine," she said, "I feel great in fact."

Mary and she picked up the refreshments and left the kitchen to head out to the schoolhouse.

* * *

Claire and Ella were at their desks working on lessons while the students filled the building. Ben and George were talking to other students while Emily listened quietly. Claire knew the young girl was mostly shy but so far had been a great student. More students milled into the schoolhouse.

She had stopped by Axelrod and had encountered Charles who was tending the store for his uncle.

"I'll be here for an hour or so after the party," she said, "and help you with the books."

He shook his head.

"No…you deserve to have some time off," he said, "Besides, they'll probably need you to help with it."

She had smiled.

"I'll still have time to do both," she said, "and then maybe you can spend some time at the party."

He had considered it and then nodded. She knew he wanted to go but he didn't want to displease his uncle. He worked so hard to please him even when Axelrod criticized him. After she left the store she had headed to the schoolhouse after seeing Dakota head towards the marshal's office. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

"See you later at the dance…"

She sighed.

"I'm not sure I'm going…"

He smiled wider.

"Oh you should be going," he said, "Have some fun and make some boys happy."

She felt her face flush, wondering why he said that and then she remembered how he thought of her as a little sister.

That would never change. So she just didn't respond to him and went up the stairs to go inside the building.

* * *

Ethan saw Dakota look at him as he walked into the office.

"Any new wires…?"

Dakota shook his head. He'd gone to check but nothing had shown up as being sent to them in connection with Buck and his gang. The law had truly lost track of the outlaws and where they might be heading.

Not that Ethan didn't know their destination…Paradise…

Dakota sat on a chair and put his feet up on the desk until Ethan gave him a sharp look. His boots clicked back on the floor after he put them back down.

"Buck and his men are close by," Ethan said, "This is part of their plan to just disappear so they can set up an ambush."

Dakota nodded.

"I think they're probably holed up somewhere just outside of town."

Ethan looked through the stack of old wires that traced the trail blazed by the gang until it went cold.

"That's why we're going to ride some patrols," Ethan said, "Get a couple of the ranchers to help us spot them."

"They have to use one of the main roads," Dakota said, "makes it harder for them to avoid being spotted."

Ethan put the stack of papers down.

"Better head on out then."

They left the office and headed towards their horses to head on out of town to go look for Buck and his men.

* * *

Amelia watched as Claire led the children in their lessons. The young woman who'd grown up a lot had a knack for teaching and she had the children's rapt attention when she told them the legend of Valentine's Day. Ella was teaching the younger children some math while Amelia helped set up the table. Emily stood there helping her lay out the refreshments after finishing her school work.

Then Ben wandered over from his desk to help and then George and then more of the children. Math and history lessons not being able to compete with a table filled with desserts and a bowl of cider in their midst.

Claire walked over.

"We're almost ready to start," she said, "We'll have refreshments in here and then we'll start with some games."

Amelia smiled.

"Sounds like a plan," she said, "So did you ever figure out who sent you the Valentine presents?"

Claire shook her head.

"No, but I figure it's either got to be Charles or Lukas…I don't know who else it could be."

"Maybe you'll find out tonight at the party."

Claire paused.

"I'm going there mostly to help Mary and the others," she said, "No one asked me."  
Amelia slipped her arm around her shoulder.

"It doesn't matter," she said, "You can still go and have fun without a date."

Claire smiled.

"Maybe I'll do that," she said, "I don't need someone to ask me."

"I went to quite a few parties by myself," Amelia said, "There are always people there who do the same…just enjoy yourself."

Claire went to pour herself a cup of cider as more children began to gather around.

* * *

Ethan and Dakota stopped at a ranch waiting for Clancy to saddle up his horse and join them on their scout. So far there'd been no sign of Buck or his gang nor were there any signs that a group of horses had recently traveled down any of the roads. But he knew that they were close by…his instincts honed by years of tracking outlaws taught him that.

"No signs Ethan."

"I know they're here close by. I just hope they didn't slip past us."

"Maybe we'd better head back closer to town."

Ethan looked up and saw Clancy riding towards them.

"We'll try the south side of the valley and then head on back."

The other two nodded and they took off riding.

* * *

Amelia looked at the children as they piled their plates high with snacks and drank cups of cider. Claire and Ella manned the tables while she watched. Ben helped Emily with her plate and they both sat down at their desks. Amelia smiled at Claire.

"Ben's sweet on her."

Claire sipped from her cup.

"They're cute together," she said, "and George stopped teasing him."

Suddenly Amelia heard some hoof beats and loud male voices outside. She turned to Claire.

"Looks like some people riding into town."

"Who are they?"

Amelia walked to the window to look outside and her eyes widened as she saw a group of five men getting off their horses packing guns. They scanned the area and Amelia knew they sought out a weakness. A way to seize advantage quickly to launch their plan…then she saw them heading towards their building.

"Quick bolt the door…"

But before Claire could move to do that, they crashed through the door and charged inside the schoolroom.


	10. Chapter 10

Axelrod threw up his hands when a group of men ran into his store. Charles got up from his chair to stand beside his uncle.

"What's going on here," Axelrod demanded.

Tiny flashed him a grave look.

"Some outlaws rode into town and stormed in the schoolhouse," he said, "We can't find Ethan or Dakota."

Axelrod folded his arms.

"You think they're in here?"

Tiny shook his head.

"We need some ammo," he said, "You have any you haven't sold?"

Axelrod sighed.

"I only keep a small supply of it," he said, "Did you talk to Mr. Lee?"

Tiny nodded, looking over at Charlie.

"He's waiting for the next shipment but he still has a few boxes left."

Axelrod unlocked a cabinet and pulled out some boxes of ammo.

"Who's paying for this?"

Tiny and Charlie just looked at him.

"There are women and children being held hostage in the schoolhouse."

"Have they made any demands?"

"No…not yet but they just got there," Charlie said, "Ethan and Dakota are out on patrol trying to keep them out of our town."

"That didn't work did it," Axelrod said, "What if they decide to rob the town blind while they're here?"

Charlie sighed.

"We'll have to go over to the schoolhouse and find out what their demands are first."

Axelrod threw up his hands.

"Without our marshal…?"

"He'll be back soon."

Charlie hoped so anyway but he knew that Ethan and Dakota had gone to pick up more ranchers to use to do patrols until they were sure Buck and his gang was nowhere near Paradise. But if this was Buck, then they would need all the men they could get. He remembered what the other gang had been like though his interaction with them led to a bullet wound in the shoulder leaving Ethan to take charge because the town didn't have anyone else. The town had been sharply divided with the merchants ranting about losing their money to some two bit bank robbers especially when Amelia went into the bank under gunpoint and handed everything to the bank robbers.

"We'll need to post some of us at the bank," Axelrod said, "just in case the robbers try to take advantage of it and steal everything we have."

"Calvin's there and he'll stand strong with us," Amos said, "We're not giving those robbers a dime and no one can make us."

Tiny just shook his head at the lot of them.

"I'd give up my entire business if it'd get them freed," he said, "I'm going to go find Ethan."

* * *

Ethan and Dakota rode with Clancy and Bob on the main road back into town. They couldn't spot any signs of Buck and his men or their horses anywhere. They did find a section with a lot of overlapping hoof prints and wheel tacks but a lot of travelers used it.

"We'd better head on back."

Dakota nodded.

"I'm guessing maybe they moved on to Virginia City."

Ethan didn't think so. His gut told him that Paradise was their target city and that's where they'd turn up. He just wanted to be there when they did before they made any moves.

"We'll have men set up at the entry points in case they do show up to cause trouble."

Dakota nodded.

"Clancy and I can take the north side and you and Bob the south."

That sounded like a plan to Ethan so they rode on back to town. He had hoped that the town could celebrate one holiday without someone showing up bearing a grudge or a larcenous streak to mess it up. The children at school had been excited all week about their party and he'd been looking forward to spending a night out dancing with his wife.

They neared the town limits and saw a man galloping towards them on horseback kicking up dirts.

"It's Tiny…"

They rode towards him and when he stopped, he told them that some gang of men had charged the schoolhouse and were holed up in there. Ethan urged his horse forward and they raced back into town.

* * *

Amelia folded her arms at Buck who had ordered the women to keep the children quiet. Buck was the ringleader and two others, Slim and Jude were the muscle. She didn't catch the name of the other two outlaws.

"Just sit them down, tell them to do homework," Buck said, "any of them cause trouble, I'll shoot them myself and then toss their bodies out on the steps."

Amelia knew that he meant that, she saw it in his hardened eyes. She remembered that his cousins had killed people including children during their robbery spree including in Reno. The man in front of her was no different.

"We'll do that…Claire give them some homework okay?"

The other woman just nodded and she gathered some of the younger children around her knowing that their lives depended on not causing any trouble.

"I need some food and drink for my men."

Amelia pointed to the refreshment table.

"This is all we have," she said, "It's a schoolhouse not a pantry."

He snarled.

"Oh I've got myself a smart one here," he said, "You might want to think about being more appreciative."

"About what…?"

He snickered.

"About still being alive because that could change at any moment."

Amelia had no plans of being anything else but she knew she had to protect the school children too. She sat down at one of the desks to think about what to do as the obviously hungry men hit the cookies and cakes and other desserts on the tables. Claire kept busy with the children and Ella helped serve the men. She knew that the schoolhouse which doubled as the church had two ways out because she'd helped with its renovation. The double door entrance in front and a smaller back entrance…some nice stained glass windows that had been installed and reinstalled at least once after a stray bullet shattered them and a bell tower.

She knew too why they had hit the school because they were adopting the same strategy used by the last gang. To target the more vulnerable people in town, the women and the children…so what better than a schoolhouse?

For now they had to sit tight as it was a waiting game until the outlaws contacted the people on the outside including Ethan to give their demands. But whereas the other band wanted fresh horses and a way out of town, she wasn't so sure it was that elemental with Buck and his men. After all, Buck hadn't taken it well when his cousins had been killed. So she'd probably hear more about that at some point. She just played it like she didn't know or remember but she did so clearly. It had been a scary, unpredictable chain of events when they'd been held hostage in the bank. So much had depended on her as the robbers had targeted her in particular for different reasons…well actually for the same reason but she used that to her advantage.

Buck returned with a plate of food to sit near her. She didn't like it but she tolerated it.

"You cook well…"

"I didn't make the food," she said, "I just brought it over for the party."

"Party…?"

"It's Valentine's Day."

He pondered that and she wondered if he even knew about the holiday. But then he got that knowing expression on his face, the one she didn't like.

"So do you have a sweetheart," he said, then he looked at her hands, "Yes you do…who is he? Does he live here in town?"

She didn't answer not wanting to give anything away.

"Oh you're shy are you? There are ways to change that."

She sighed heavily.

"I'm sure there are and I've heard every one of them."

He chuckled and put his plate down on the desk.

"You and me might get along just fine," he said, "You do what I tell you and you might just live."

She kept her voice light.

"What about the children?"

"That'll depend on the cooperation of those outside…including the town marshal."

* * *

Ethan raised his hands to still the chaos in the saloon. They had gone to meet with the towns folk and discuss what happened.

"It's Buck and his gang, I'm sure of it," Charlie said, "Who else could it be?"

Ethan figured as much but he had to be absolutely sure so he'd know how to act.

"We'll have to go and find out what they want."

Axelrod stood up and blocked him.

"If it's money…tell them we don't have any."

Ethan flashed him a disgusted look.

"The hostages come first with me," he said, "everything else is below that."

He'd raced back to town and saw the horses tied near the schoolhouse and then went to the hotel. It hadn't taken him long to figure out that Amelia and the children except Joseph were inside the schoolhouse with Buck and his gang. He wasn't going to let anyone stop him in getting everyone out of there.

"You don't have much money in the bank so what do you care?"

Then a voice came from the back and Ethan looked up to see Charles. The younger man turned to face his uncle.

"We have to help Ethan get them out of there," he said, "What about Claire, her brothers and all the others? They're depending on us to help them."

Ethan nodded at Charles who smiled back at him and Axelrod appeared to weaken a bit. Finally he relented.

"Okay I'll do what I can to help you."

"Thanks Axelrod," he said, "Now it's time to go find out what it is they want."

"Well it's obvious, food, money and horses not necessarily in that order."

But Ethan looked at Axelrod and the others suspecting that it wasn't going to be that simple.


	11. Chapter 11

Ethan stood in front of the schoolhouse getting ready to address the outlaws holding hostages inside of it. He'd tried to protect the perimeter of the town to keep Buck and his gang out but somehow they had slipped through the gap.

Now they were holed up with women and children and Ethan knew they planned it that way. Dakota walked up behind him.

"He slipped right through our net."

Ethan didn't respond to that, as all of his attention was focused on the building in front of him. He counted five men inside of there and about a dozen students and two teachers including Claire.

Not to mention Amelia. He hadn't know she was inside until Scotty told him. That she'd taken over the refreshments for the party. He knew that she'd help take care of the children and keep them calm. Now he had to figure out how to deal with Buck and his gang.

"Any demands yet?"

Ethan shook his head.

"No been real quiet," he said, "but I suspect we'll hear from them soon."

Ethan had been in this situation so many times, different places where he'd faced off against outlaws who were robbing banks, causing mayhem in saloons or shooting people in the streets.

When the people he loved were caught up in it, it made it harder but he knew he could still do his job.

"You and Bob circle around the back," he said, "and Dakota, you stay here with me."

Clancy nodded and followed Bob to the back of the schoolhouse. Dakota looked at Ethan as they both stared at the empty building with its doors still closed.

Claire had pushed for the repairs to be done on what had been an abandoned church pushed aside and forgotten when Paradise hit one of its boom periods. When the mines were open, most people didn't pay as much mind to religion more intent on getting rich and spending money on fancier things. But his niece hadn't given up even when everyone else seemed disinterested or even made light of what she'd been doing. Even when it had been her and a couple of others doing the hard work. Ethan had seen her determination and had joined in and by the time it was built, the church had united the town on New Year's Eve.

He thought of that right now and of how Claire had taken on the role of teaching children when there'd been a need for it. Some people thought her too young to succeed at it but she had worked so hard and hadn't given up. The children that she taught liked her so much too, she had a knack for reaching out to those who didn't much like book learning. He couldn't see inside the windows right now but he knew the women inside would be calm enough to keep the children silent and…alive. He and Dakota had to do their part to free them.

"They won't be near the windows," Ethan said, "They'll put the children near them."

Dakota nodded.

"Makes it hard for us to line up a shot."

Ethan knew they couldn't do that. It'd be too risky, they had to wait until the outlaws appeared to make their demands.

So they stood there waiting, their hands on their holsters and hoped it wouldn't be a long wait.

* * *

Amelia watched as the men hit the refreshment table leaving very little food left. She figured they hadn't been eating much on the trail but it'd keep them occupied so that she and Claire could find ways to keep the children quiet.

"There's too many of them," Claire said, "We're outnumbered."

Amelia nodded.

"That doesn't mean we can't beat them," she said, "Remember the time at the hotel?"

Claire smiled slightly.

"Yes…you tried to get them to turn on each other and fight and it worked."

Amelia knew it had been effective back then, enough to give them an edge so that they'd stay alive but she didn't know about this bunch. She'd have to study them and how they interacted with each other for a while first…and she didn't know how much time they'd been given.

"It might be harder this time," Amelia said, "They don't seem at odds like the others and they're not under as much stress…none of them have been hurt."

"But they're brothers aren't they? Brothers fight…they sure do in our house."

Amelia sighed.

"True…Okay we can try it," she said, "We've got to keep their minds off the children so they won't use them."

Claire nodded and then they both looked up because Buck and Jude had walked on over. They were both tall hulks of men next to the women and didn't look happy.

"What are you talking about over here," Buck demanded.

Amelia looked up at him forcing a smile on her face.

"The lesson plans…this is a school after all."

Buck looked over at Claire and she nodded.

"Yes we were about to have a party when you came in," Claire said, "Why did you do that, charge in and scare the children?"

The two men looked at each other.

"We're here to get what we want and we know how to get it," Buck said, "and we know that the marshal out there won't say no if we make it clear that we'll kill our hostages."

Amelia folded her arms.

"It's just like you men to use women and children like that," she said, "Only a coward would do that."

Buck didn't like that at all, almost as if it triggered something inside of him. His face twisted into a snarl and his hand went up and for a split second, she wondered if he would strike her. But she couldn't take her words back and she wouldn't…if she were to come up with a plan, this would be part of it.

He stood up to his full height and glared down at her instead.

"Who you calling a coward…?"

She stood her ground.

"Why don't you let the children go and just keep us? We're enough to help you get what you and your men want."

He took a step closer.

"How do you know what we want?"

She pursed her lips.

"I'm assuming if you're like most outlaws in this situation, you want food and horses and a way out."

Buck sighed.

"That's just for starters," he said, "We're here for something else."

Amelia and Claire looked at each other. They already knew what that might be…if they were the cousins of the band of brothers who'd seized the hotel a couple years earlier. That had been back to when Claire and her brothers had first arrived in Paradise and Amelia had gotten to know them and Ethan. She'd been eating lunch with Claire and George in the hotel, looking after Scotty's son one moment and then looking up to see a band of determined men storming the hotel guns ablaze the next. She'd tried to dash with the baby and the children to the door but they'd been thwarted. The next 24 hours had been spent trying to keep everyone else alive and dealing with men who might be brothers and outlaws but had nearly come to blows several times.

Amelia just looked at Buck, a man with sandy brown hair and a beard, his cheek accentuated by a thick scar most likely from a knife. She wondered whether he had any vulnerability beneath that exterior.

"What is it that you want?"

He paused for a long moment and it made her uneasy.

"You'll find out soon enough," he said, "but now it's time to talk to the marshal."

* * *

Ethan waited outside and suddenly the door opened. Dakota and Ethan looked at each other as Buck stepped out onto the steps, along with another man who had his gun out and aimed at them.

"You the marshal…?"

Ethan looked up at him and nodded.

"I'm Ethan Cord and this is my deputy, Dakota but I expect you already know that."

Buck nodded back at him.

"Yes I do…I know all about you."

Ethan took a step closer.

"I heard about you and your gang a lot in the past few days."

"We've been busy finding our way here."

"Why?"

Buck looked back at the schoolhouse.

"We're going to stay in there with your women and children for a while," he said, "and we've got demands. We'll start with the simple ones…food and fresh horses for when we do leave in return for the hostages."

Ethan stood there not yielding any ground.

"Okay…we'll see about that," he said, "though it'll take some time."

Buck chuckled.

"We got plenty of time for now and so do your hostages," he said, "you make any move against us and we'll kill them all starting with the children."

Ethan knew that Buck meant it. His cousins had been ruthless killers and from what he'd heard, Buck's bunch weren't any different.

But he had beaten those men in that hotel two years ago, and he knew he'd do the same with Buck and his men…once he found away.


	12. Chapter 12

Amelia looked over at Buck who stood at the front of the schoolroom talking with Jude. She wondered if they were discussing the ransom demands that they would hand to Ethan and the others outside.

Food, water, fresh horses would be part of what they'd want along with a clear route out of town and enough of a head start so they could escape. But it wouldn't stop there. She knew that Buck wanted revenge for what had happened to his cousins two years ago. They'd all died but one who had been hung sometime later. She knew she'd killed one of them with a gun that had been stashed behind the bar because he'd been about to shoot Ethan. Not one to let that happen, she had acted without thinking.

Then once the outlaws were all out of commission and the balance of power had shifted towards the hostages, she'd put the gun down on a table without thinking about it and had walked up to Ethan. He'd been tending to Claire and George first after he assessed the bodies on the floor. She'd handed the baby off to another person and had gone up to Ethan and touched his face, just to know that he was really standing there and she wasn't sleeping.

During the night, she'd slept fitfully because she had to be ready to spring into action if necessary to act whether they came after here or threatened the children. But in the morning, she'd known that the federal police sent by the railroad had shown up and were ready to storm the building. Only Ethan had stood in their way.

Claire sat down at the desk next to her and also watched the two men in front. The other three were standing in various places both in and out of sight. The children were busy with Ella who kept telling them an endless supply of stories. Ben and George were helping her, after all it's not like they hadn't been through this before. It'd been a fact of life from living in Paradise, in the same household as a gunslinger.

"I don't know what they want," Claire said, "I heard them talking to Uncle Ethan."

"They'll ask for food and horses and then hopefully when they get them, they'll let us go."

Claire looked troubled.

"Uncle Ethan…I heard him asking the men to let the children go but Buck just said that he'd get what he'd want if he had women and children as hostages."

Amelia knew that had been the strategy of the cousins, when they'd stormed the hotel. They'd ridden straight into town past the bank, past the other businesses gearing straight to the hotel. Claire just looked so serious.

"Buck said he'd kill the children first…if Uncle Ethan didn't do what he wanted."

Amelia knew that he meant it too…he'd certainly killed children before and women like her…whatever it took to get what they wanted. But she knew that Ethan was the best marshal and she trusted him to do right by them. Even if that meant keeping the town people at bay…after all sometimes he'd found himself between the ruthless outlaws and the ire of the townspeople even before becoming marshal. Ethan never backed down from anything not if people were in danger.

"It'll be all right Claire," Amelia said, "We'll do what we can to help him…just like we did before."

The younger woman bit her lip.

"I'll try…but I'm not sure it's the same," she said, "the others argued constantly but Buck's controlling his brothers."

Amelia had noticed that too but she had no intention of not walking out of here with the children in their charge. Ethan would handle the outside of the situation and she and Claire would have to do their best to unravel the plan of the men from the inside.

Buck left Jude and walked over to him, his boots clicking on the floor. Amelia just looked up at him.

"I talked to your marshal," he said, "He seems like a smart man. He'll prove it by giving us what we want."

"Which is…?"

"Food, horses and a way out of here," he said, "for starters…"

She had figured that, she just wanted to keep him talking in case he might get comfortable or over confident and let something slip out that might help them.

"I told them that if they didn't give us what we want, we'd kill all of you starting with the youngest."

If he thought he could get her to show fear with his pointed words, she'd show him otherwise.

"That doesn't bother you?"

She just looked at him and Claire got up to go help Ella.

"Would it do any good if it did?"

He smiled and sat down on a desk.

"No…but your lives depend entirely on whether or not your marshal gives in to our demands."

She forced a smile back at him.

"Then I know we're in good hands…he's a very good marshal."

Buck chuckled.

"You better pray that's true."

* * *

Ethan walked into the saloon with Axelrod behind him. The store keeper had said he'd help but then he'd started complaining again.

"Where we going to find fresh horses," he said, "Tiny's fresh out of them."

That didn't faze Ethan.

"Bella's got a pasture filled with them," he said, "I'll need someone to ride out and tell her that we'll need to borrow some of them."

Axelrod just shook his head.

"That won't be enough…because we still have to feed them."

Ethan nodded.

"We're going to go along with them Axelrod and everyone will have to go along," he said, "I don't intend on losing our towns people."

Axelrod sniffed.

"I don't think going along with them is going to work," he said, "We need to wire the marshals."

Ethan shook his head.

"No…not yet…that could make it more dangerous," he said, "Buck will hole up, get desperate and he might start shooting people."

Amos walked up to him.

"We can't let outlaws like that tell us what to do," he said, "Otherwise they won't stop lining up to take from us."

Axelrod nodded.

"We should get the marshals here to just storm the place," he said, "Kill all of them…"

Charles who had been standing nearby walked up to them.

"What about the children," he asked, "What about Claire?"

Axelrod just stared at them.

"We can't sacrifice them," Charles said, "I can't believe you'd consider doing that."

Axelrod scowled.

"We might not have a choice," he said, "to restore order in our town."

Charles shook his head.

"Remember what happened only months ago," he said, "Didn't you learn anything from that?"

Axelrod fell silent as Ethan knew he would because he'd been pretty brutal himself to the merchant when he'd tried to stand in the way of what Ethan needed to do. He'd better not try that right now because there was no way Ethan would surrender a single hostage. He gestured to Dakota who came over.

"Bob's on his way to the ranch," Dakota said, "What are we going to do to buy us some time?"

"That's what the horses will do. Until we come up with a much better plan…"

Dakota sighed.

"What if it's revenge he wants?"

Ethan sighed.

"We'll find that out soon enough. Buck won't keep quiet on his intentions for long."

Joseph walked up to both of them.

"What's going on at the school house? Are Claire and my brothers in there?"

Ethan nodded.

"Amelia and about a dozen children are also inside."

Joseph shook his head.

"What are we going to do to get them back?"

Ethan paused.

"Nothing right now," he said, "They want horses and food and Mary and Scotty are working in the kitchen. Bob's out to get Bella to loan us some horses for riding."

Joseph fumed.

"I can't believe that you're giving them what they want."

Ethan had clashed with his nephew on this issue before but he knew what he had to do.

"They haven't told us yet what they want," he said, "It's not what we're giving them."

Joseph looked at him.

"Why? What's going on here?"

Ethan and Dakota looked at each other.

"Buck's cousins were those robbers that took hostages in the hotel two years ago," Ethan said, "the siege that nearly tore the town apart."

Joseph remembered that and how frustrated he'd felt that they had spent most of the time standing around outside the hotel doing nothing but watching and waiting. Not his favorite pastime, he had wanted to be a man of action like his uncle.

One of the things the two of them had in common.

* * *

Amelia watched as Buck sat there eating a couple of cookies that had been left over. He had tried to make idle conversation with her and as much as she didn't like it, she wanted to keep him talking.

"So you don't cook…."

"I didn't say that," she said, "I do but I'm not very good at it."

He chuckled at that.

"What does your husband say about that?"

She looked startled.

"Saw the ring on your hand…meaning you're married."

She nodded.

"So what does he think about your cooking?"

She shrugged.

"He eats it…and doesn't complain," She said, "but we eat out a lot at the hotel."

He chuckled louder and she just looked at him.

"So you have any children?"

She sharpened her gaze at him.

"That's a bit personal don't you think?"

He folded his arms.

"Might as well answer it," he said, "Got nothing else to do here to pass the time until…"

"You decide whether or not you're going to kill us."

He just stared at her but she didn't give him any ground. Nor did she plan to give any information about herself to them.

Inside her own mind she began planning.


	13. Chapter 13

Ethan sat in the saloon nursing a scotch. He hated being in this position. Watching and waiting to act didn't suit him much and he had to force himself to stop pacing the room. His muscles tense and his posture rigid, waiting for something unexpected to happen…but everything remained quiet.

The sun ready to set behind the hills and all thoughts of the Valentine's Day party and dance forgotten as the town focused its attention on what was taking place in the schoolhouse. Bob and Bella had brought horses from the ranch and stationed them at Tiny's livery and the food had been prepared and would be ready.

But Ethan knew that Buck had shown up for a different reason and that he surely knew that Ethan had broken up the siege by his cousins at the hotel. It had made the newspapers after a reporter had shown up in Paradise after the federal railroad marshals had left and wrote all about it. Ethan had been branded a hero, a man who had stepped in to rescue everyone when the local marshal had been injured in a shootout.

He hadn't wanted the attention because he didn't like attracting it for doing what simply had to be done. But he also realized now that those outlaws had kin that would find out about it.

Dakota walked up to get his own glass refilled and then sat next to Ethan.

"So you ready to go out and tell them you got their food and horses?"

Ethan sipped his glass.

"It's not what a man like Buck really wants," he said, "but it bought us some time."

"Meaning that he's after you for killing his cousins and he's come here for his revenge."

Ethan nodded.

"He's biding his time too," he said, "but I'll be ready for him."

"You've got Clancy, Bob and me to help you."

Ethan looked at him.

"I can't expect you to…"

"We'll do whatever it takes to get the women and children out of there."

Ethan heard the resolve in Dakota's voice but he was a realist.

"He's after me…for what I did to his cousins."

"Then we'll go after him and his gang if they threaten to hurt anyone."

Ethan looked at his glass.

"I'm still working on a plan."

Dakota sighed.

"Then we'll stall them for a little longer," he said, "until we're ready…."

* * *

Amelia and Claire had helped Ella with the children and then Ben and George started telling them stories about their chickens and how they'd escaped and gotten into the house. Claire didn't remember that incident very fondly because she'd had to shoo them back outside and then clean up the mess but the children laughed at the stories and it got their mind off everything else.

Then they hit the refreshment table where only a few little Valentine's Day cakes remained untouched. Amelia picked one up and ate it. Under other circumstances, it would have tasted lovely but her mind wasn't on food nor the holiday. It was on doing her best to find a way to get the children out of here. If only she could find a way to persuade the outlaw band to release them. Even if it meant keeping the women as hostages but she knew from experience she'd have to choose her words carefully.

Buck couldn't sit still for very long and every once in a while would bark instructions at his men to do something. He seemed like he was waiting for something and that made Amelia uneasy. Shadows were growing inside the building which meant that the sun had sunk lower on the horizon. It would be getting dark soon enough and that might make allow the men outside to get closer to the building without getting detected.

"How long have they been here?"

Amelia looked over at Claire.

"Several hours maybe," she said, "It'll be dark soon."

Claire smiled.

"Maybe then they'll find a way to get us all out of here."

"I'm trying to figure out how to talk Buck into releasing the children."

Claire sighed.

"I don't know…I think the children might be the last people he wants to let go. He likes to use them to get what he wants. Remember how the others acted?"

Amelia remembered that all too well. They bragged how people would be more likely to comply with the demands if they thought that women and children might be endangered or even killed. After all, almost everyone in the hotel that day had been in those groups. One man had drawn his gun and been killed, his body tossed out onto the front steps as an example. Every moment she'd thought about what she needed to do to make sure the children were okay, that it wouldn't be them that would be treated that way.

"Buck seems like a ruthless man," Amelia said, "I don't think he'll hesitate to kill anyone who causes him trouble…or if anyone outside of here doesn't do as he says."

"Uncle Ethan will figure a way to get us out," Claire said, "I know he will…he'll know what to do."

Amelia smiled because Claire was right about her husband. Even as the town derided him often enough for being a rough around the edges gunslinger turned marshal, it'd learned to rely on him to be just that and to rescue those who were in trouble.

"He's probably planning a way Claire but we have to help him on our end…whatever it takes."

Claire frowned.

"But you…what about…?"

Amelia rested a hand on her abdomen.

"It'll be fine…we'll be fine."

"Uncle Ethan would want you to be careful."

Amelia rested a hand on Claire's shoulder.

"I will be…but we need to get these children out of here safely."

Claire nodded but didn't look too happy. Buck walked on over to where they were sitting.

"How you two ladies doing…?"

Amelia looked up at him.

"We're doing fine…as long as you don't hurt the children it'll stay that way."

Buck sneered.

"You talk back to me?"

Amelia smiled.

"I'm just stating fact and it's good advice."

He just shook his head.

"You're too damn smart acting for a lady," he said, "Your husband needs to keep you in line."

"Isn't that up to him rather than you?"

He just stared at her and she thought of how she needed to push him towards letting the children go without being hard handed about it.

"You're a pretty lady even if you have a sassy mouth."

Amelia grimaced but knowing she had to be polite.

"My husband tells me that."

"He should…now why did he let you come to the schoolhouse all by yourself?"

Amelia sighed.

"He doesn't dictate where I go or what I do," she said, "I'm his wife not his child."

"No wonder you have that smart mouth then," he said, "I might just have to fix it for him."

Amelia folded her arms.

"I don't think so," she said, "He might not like that."

Buck chuckled in amusement but then his face changed.

"Damn marshal," he said, "Thinks he's getting me what I want when it's going to be his funeral."'

Amelia felt a cold chill go through her body. She tried to say calm and unaffected by his words.

"Oh the marshal…he's just trying to help you…you want food and fresh horses, he'll do that for you if you let the children go."

He narrowed his eyes at her.

"That's not what we really want," he said, "and pretty soon the old marshal will figure that out."

Amelia had no doubt that Ethan was already ahead of the curve.

* * *

Ethan knew he had to figure out a way to save the women and the children without getting them hurt or killed and then he'd have to deal with being the object of Buck's revenge. He had only been one of three people who'd fired bullets at Buck's cousins. Amelia and John Taylor had been the other two and John Taylor had gone back out to Bella's ranch with Bob to get a couple more horses.

Amelia of course was inside the schoolhouse with Buck and his gang. If Buck figured out that she'd killed one of his cousins, Ethan didn't even want to think about what would happen. She'd likely be killed herself before he had any chance to react and he couldn't let that happen. He knew she'd handle herself very well and she'd help him but he didn't want her to take any risks.

"You think about getting those outlaws some dinner?"

Ethan nodded.

"Give us an excuse to learn more about what's going on inside there."

Dakota heard the concern in Ethan's voice that he didn't try to show.

"We're going to find a way to get them out of there," he said, "and Amelia and Claire, they're both real smart. If we don't hurry, they'll probably do it for us."

Ethan knew they'd be busy trying to seek any advantage but he didn't want them to get hurt.

"Come on we'd better get going," he said, "Get Scotty to bring some of that Valentine's Day stew."

Dakota went to the kitchen while Ethan waited for him outside the saloon. His hand itching on his gun just out of instinct but he knew he'd have to do some talking instead. Dakota joined him with the food and they both headed to the schoolhouse just as the door opened and Buck and another armed man walked out onto the steps holding onto a child.

"Do anything wrong and we'll shoot…"

Ethan knew he meant every word.


	14. Chapter 14

Ethan stood a distance away from Buck and the other outlaw who held onto a child. A little boy about George's age who looked scared…and Ethan knew he had to be careful with what he said. Dakota and Clancy were further back ready to act but any closer…it'd just make Buck antsier.

"That's far enough Ethan," Buck said, "I just have a message for you."

Ethan felt no surprise that the outlaw felt like addressing him directly. He must know who shot his cousins.

"How do I know you're not hurting the hostages?"

"We've got no need to hurt any of them if you give us what we want."

"You got your food coming," Ethan said, "We've almost got all the horses ready."

Buck nodded.

"Good but that's only the beginning," he said, "There's other things we want before we'll release the hostages and go on our way."

Ethan figured as much from the start but he wasn't going to make it any easier for him.

"What else do you want?"

Buck paused.

"You give me the food and I'll tell you in the morning."

"Why not now…?"

Buck chuckled.

"There's no rush is there," he said, "We're just getting comfortable…so give us our food and go back to the saloon."

Ethan gestured to Dakota and Clancy to walk on over and then he and Dakota proceeded up the stairs to hand over the prepared meal to Buck. Ethan glanced at the child and though he read fear in his eyes, he looked unharmed.

The men went inside with the child and Buck just looked at Ethan.

"I'll be talking to you later…and just in case you're thinking of ambushing us at night," he said, "My men and I don't sleep and if you try to make one move, we'll kill all of them."

Ethan just stood there knowing Buck had no mercy. He'd left a trail of dead bodies making him no different than his kin.

"You have children don't you Ethan?"

Ethan didn't respond.

"I know you do," he said, "You got your sister's children, a girl and two young boys don't you?"

Ethan's eyes turned deadly.

"Anything happens to them…"

Buck pursed his lips.

"That'll depend on you."

He walked inside the building and closed the door behind him. Frustration ran through Ethan so palpable and yet he knew he had to be patient. A lot of lives depended on it and now that Buck knew his niece and two of his nephews were in there…he hadn't mentioned Amelia but it was only a matter of time until he figured out that his wife was in there too.

Dakota put a hand on his shoulder.

"We'd better head on back," he said, "John Taylor and Bob are probably back with the rest of the horses."

So the two of them went into the saloon where they saw those two men with a few merchants including Scotty, Axelrod and Mr. Lee. Bella walked up to them.

"What's going on here? John Taylor told me about a hostage situation at the schoolhouse?"

Ethan nodded.

"Five men including Buck, they rode into town and went straight to the schoolhouse."

Bella narrowed her eyes.

"I remember Buck, but he was a young man back in the day," she said, "He's pretty ruthless and some of his kin got killed…here in the hotel."

"I killed them…they were surrounded by federal railroad police and felt they had nothing to lose."

"Now that gang I remember," Bella said, "Among the most blood thirsty of them all."

"They killed a man before he could pull his gun in the hotel and took the women and children hostages," he said, "including Amelia, Claire and George."

"Amelia mentioned it," Bella said, "She said it was a long night."

Ethan knew most of what had happened because Amelia had told him.

"They were a couple of them feuding and she took advantage of that, had them come to blows a couple times."

Over her mostly and that hadn't been the part Ethan had liked. But the siege had finally ended in a hail of gunfire and none of them had been hurt. Life had continued on until the next crisis as it always did.

"What about these men?"

Ethan knew little about them except that Buck had been a career outlaw, as sharp with a gun as any he'd seen. Not that it mattered because when the time arose he'd taken him down just like he had with the others. A man like him just wasn't fit to walk away.

"Not much more in the latest wires," he said, "Most of them were about him and a couple about Pierce."

"Amelia's ex-husband…?"

Ethan nodded.

"He's still alive and not too far away from here."

"Well he'd better not show up here or he won't be living for long."

Ethan knew that his wife wanted to kill her ex at this point but he figured as long as Pierce stayed away…but now that he'd resurfaced…he'd have to cross that bridge when he came to it. But he'd married a woman who was a crack shot and what she felt for her ex, he couldn't touch. He'd wanted to track the man down and shoot him dead himself but he'd decided it wasn't worth it to wind up in prison or at the end of the noose for it. Not when he had a wife and four soon to be five children who needed a father.

His heart caught when he thought about what might happen to his family inside the schoolhouse. But he knew he could handle it, he could handle Buck. After all it's what he knew how to do better than anything in the world. Much more than rearing children….

Buck might not know it, but he was living on borrowed time.

* * *

Amelia watched as the outlaws quickly ate up the food they'd gotten from Ethan. She knew it had been him who had delivered it because she heard pieces of the dialogue and she knew her husband's voice anywhere.

Ben and George had come over to where she and Claire sat but hadn't complained. They knew that they had to be quiet and not do anything to anger Buck and his men. Unfortunately they'd become pros at being held hostage, in ways that children shouldn't be. So had she and she knew how to handle herself and soon enough she'd figure out how to handle the men who held them captive. She'd watched them closely for chinks in their armor but so far…they seemed a closer and less volatile bunch than their cousins.

Time could change that awfully quickly as the siege wore on though they didn't seem in a hurry to end it and she knew why. She knew it wasn't about food and horses or robbing the town of everything of value.

It was about revenge against Ethan.

She sensed that so far they didn't know her identity and they didn't know about the children being related to Ethan. But they must know that he had children living with him and a wife.

"They didn't save any food for us."

Claire sighed.

"You're going to have to be patient George," she said, "We'll eat as soon as they let us go."

Ben looked doubtful.

"Will the…they let us go?"

Amelia put a smile on her face.

"Of course they will Ben," she said, "But you and George are going to have to help the other children stay calm and quiet. You two know what to do but they really don't."

The children nodded solemnly and it broke Amelia's heart a little to see that. She'd have to worry about it later because they still had to get out of here.

"Now you need to try to get some sleep. I knew it's hard but you'll feel better in the morning."

Ben and George looked at each other, not sure about that. Claire nodded.

"Yes…you might try to get some sleep," she said, "I'm going to need your help with the lessons in the morning."

George made a face.

"Lessons…?"

Claire looked at Amelia and nodded.

"Yes we're going to do some math like we always do when school starts…now go try to sleep."

The two boys walked away back to their seats and tried to do just that. Amelia knew the other children would watch and try to do the same. She felt exhausted suddenly and knew she should try to get rest. Ethan always got after her to do that since he'd found out that she was pregnant. He did try to make things easier for her when she felt tired or didn't feel like eating in the morning.

But he was out there and she was in here and she had to look after the children like she'd promised to do.

"Claire you look tired," she said, "Why don't you get some sleep? I'll keep an eye on things."

Claire shook her head.

"No…Uncle Ethan would want me to tell you to get your rest," she said, "For you and the baby."

Amelia smiled and she saw the concern in the younger woman's eyes.

"Okay maybe just for a little while," she said, "But not for too long."

She closed her eyes imagining what it'd be like if they were all home settling in for the night. The younger children would be asleep, Claire would be up late working on her lessons and she'd be lying in bed with Ethan's arms wrapped around her.

Her throat tightened but she knew she had to keep it all together as hard as it would be. A lot depended on it and the hardest part of it was yet to come.


	15. Chapter 15

The night proved to be a long one for Amelia and Claire. Most of the children including Ben and George had nodded off to sleep as the building darkened save for a couple lanterns that were lit by Buck and his men.

Amelia had nodded off and images of better days had filled her sleep until she woke up back inside the schoolhouse. She heard men's voices and guessed that Buck and at least two of his men were still awake.

"Really going to wait until morning," one said.

"Yeah…soon as the sun rises…"

That was Buck but she'd only caught part of the conversation. She'd sat in the desk, her muscles cramped from her sleeping position and she still felt so tired. But she needed to stay alert as she looked over at Claire who had fallen asleep her head resting on her hands in front of her. She knew the young woman had exhausted herself taking care of the children. Amelia thought about how many hours it'd be until the sun rose signaling that morning had arrived in Paradise. She knew that Ethan didn't sleep, more than likely he was in the saloon planning a way out for them, to get them away from the outlaws. She knew that she and Claire had to help those outside whatever way they could manage.

"How many more hours…?"

Claire's weary voice interrupted her thoughts. She turned to look at her in the darkness.

"I don't know…three or four," Amelia said, "It's very late…and I don't know how long I slept."

"You needed it. Do you feel better?"

Amelia nodded. She didn't even feel nauseated yet. She felt alert, but she knew she had to sit and wait. Ethan and the others had given the outlaws food and the horses were waiting in Tiny's livery.

"I feel better too," Claire said, "The boys are still asleep. They've been like that for a while."

"It's good for them," Amelia said, "Gives them a chance to get away from it for a while. Reality will hit son enough."

Tension filled her voice because she knew that she had to remain calm despite the fear that crept inside of her. She felt it not so much for herself but for the children…for her baby but she knew somehow she'd do what needed to be done. She'd been through enough crises in her life to trust in her ability to handle them and she trusted Ethan more than anyone else.

"You think they're just stalling…?"

"Yes I do…Buck wants something else and I think we'll find out in the morning."

She remembered back to that time in the hotel when she'd held the gun she'd found in her dress pocket even when the lead outlaw had led her to the other room. He'd been no more a gentleman with her than the others and when he touched her, it made her skin crawl but she never betrayed that. She just chose her words carefully, using each one as a weapon to turn the brothers further against one another. Several had come to blows already over her and whatever it took to weaken the bonds between them, she would do.

Just the way she'd been taught. The way she'd seen Pierce play people though at the time she didn't know him as a con artist…but it had been useful to learn from him and now she'd put it to use again.

It'd just be a matter of time as she watched them carefully.

* * *

Ethan hadn't gotten a wink of sleep and he kept Dakota and Clancy running around. Scotty made sure they had plenty of coffee and even Axelrod pitched in though he grumbled. It'd been Charles who mostly kept him in line gently nudging his stubborn uncle into assisting Ethan.

Lukas showed up from his ranch and started working with Bob to get the horses ready. Ethan had been impressed with the quiet but resourceful young man. Dakota walked up to him.

"Only a few more hours until it's daylight," he said, "We won't have the same advantage then."

Ethan sighed.

"We can't do anything right now," he said, "Buck will get wind of it and he'll kill hostages. I know he means it."

"Then what'll we do when the sun comes up?"

"I think we'll find out why Buck is really here," Ethan said, "at least he'll play that hand."

Dakota went to pour himself some more coffee. Both men were exhausted but too wired to sit still too long. Hey wanted to go out and fight someone, fire their guns and do what marshals did not sit around and wait. Ethan hated playing this game of letting someone else decide when he acted but he couldn't take the chance, any more than he could with that other gang in the hotel. He trusted his instincts and the town's people would have to trust them too or appoint themselves another marshal.

"You got a plan at least don't you?"

Ethan grimaced.

"Bare bones of one but I'll fill it out by morning," he said, "I'm going to need your help and for you to do what I tell you without question."

Dakota paused.

"Can you do that?"

Dakota shrugged.

"I'll do it…just give me some heads up on what it is before we go out there."

Ethan thought he might be able to do that but a lot of that depended on what Buck chose to do and when. He didn't like having to react but he had to be careful. Any wrong move…no he couldn't think about that right now.

Clancy walked in to get more coffee followed by Joseph and Doc Carter. He hoped he wouldn't need the doctor's skills.

"We move in the morning before daylight?"

Ethan shook his head.

"That's what they'll be expecting," he said, "Buck's looking for an excuse to kill everyone and I'm not giving it to him."

Clancy furrowed his brows.

"What you talking about Ethan? They just want to get what we promised and move on out of here."

Ethan sipped his coffee.

"No…that's just a ruse to get us off guard and it's not going to work."

He knew that as sure as he knew anything and by morning, he'd be ready for anything.

* * *

Amelia felt her stomach rumble. She'd felt like this nearly every morning for the past couple of months. In a while, she'd feel nauseous and sometimes she lost whatever food she had inside of her. Supposed to be normal for a woman who was expecting but it and the fatigue were definitely not her favorite part of the experience.

She got up quietly and went over to the table to drink some water that she poured from a pitcher into a mug. It went down smoothly and helped a bit and as long as she didn't look at or smell any food until noon, she'd do just fine. The baby had been a surprise to her and to Ethan but it hadn't taken her long to be excited about the future. They already had four children to raise and adding one to that might be some hardship but she saw how excited Ethan had been at the news. He'd embraced it like he'd done so with everything in the life they'd built together.

They'd been through some really tough times but they'd come through them. Duke left the other men and walked on over towards her.

"You want anything to eat?"

She shook her head not wanting to think about it. Of course she had no intention of explaining why.

"You sure…they brought us some good stew last night."

"No I don't want any but when the children wake up they'll be hungry so if you feed them…"

He cut her off.

"I'll think about it," He said, "I'm still trying to decide whether they'll live or die. Of course that depends a lot on Ethan and his men."

"They're not going to do anything to risk the lives of the children."

He sat on the desk close to her.

"What about your life? Would they do anything to jeopardize that?"

She didn't answer that question not wanting to take his bait.

"You're married to someone right? Where's your husband?"

She pursed her lips.

"He's not in here…"

Buck smiled.

"Where is he then? And what kind of man would have you working in a schoolhouse instead of taking care of him?"

"I've never taken care of any man and my husband can fend for himself."

"What's his name," he said, "Maybe I can arrange a visit."

She shook her head.

"No I don't think he'll be interested," she said, "I'm not sure where he is…he's not been around in a while."

"He left you?"

"Something like that…"

Amelia had decided that some revisionist history was in order to protect Ethan and not make his job any harder.

"He should be hung for that."

She shrugged.

"Maybe he has been already. I haven't seen him in a long time."

Claire just looked at her but didn't say anything. Buck just chuckled at her.

"I could keep you company real fine and if he shows up teach him a lesson."

Amelia didn't want to encourage him.

"I'll do that real fine if he shows his face in town again."

Buck shook his head obviously amused as he got up and went back to the other outlaws. Claire just looked at Amelia.

"You acting like you're still married to Pierce?"

Amelia nodded.

"I don't want him to know I'm married to Ethan," she said, "It'll just be one more thing to use against him."

Claire smiled.

"He doesn't know which of us are his niece and nephews and so far he hasn't tried to find out."

"We'll just have to make sure he doesn't find that out either," Amelia "which will mean keeping them distracted from it."

"How do we do that?"

Amelia sighed.

"We'll think of a way."


	16. Chapter 16

Amelia felt the nausea hit her right on schedule and tried to think of something else. Anything else except how sick she felt…she knew it'd pass as the hours did but she wanted to be alert.

"I think there's some bread left over," Claire said, "I'll go get some for you."

Claire knew all about this morning malaise since Amelia had told the children she was pregnant. She thought it looked pretty awful. Amelia assured her that most of the day she felt fine, in fact she felt great. Soon she'd have to worry about her clothes but she'd cross that bridge when she came to it. She just had to make sure that she'd make it out of this situation.

After she made sure the children were out safely. Ella had started getting some of the children who woke up to forget how hungry they were about by reading to them while Claire got other students started on math problems. They wanted to make it seem like a normal school day. Amelia decided to clear off the table of what was left of the food and try to save some of it for the children later on when Buck and his men weren't paying attention.

She looked over at where he stood by the doorway with Jude, talking. No doubt about how they would proceed when Ethan and Dakota showed up. She had gotten sleep on and off herself, drifting away to dream nicely before waking up to the schoolhouse.

Emily walked over to her holding what looked to be a heart drawn on a piece of paper. She smiled at the young girl who had been pretty quiet since the siege began. But she suspected that Emily had faced a lot of challenges in her young life.

"It's very pretty," she said, "Who's it for?"

Emily just looked down at her shoes. She seemed very shy but Amelia knew that she liked Ben who also had his shy moments. But the girl had kept herself busy, kept quiet and never asked when she'd be allowed to go home. Amelia wondered what it'd be like to have a daughter but with parents like herself and Ethan, she'd grow up pretty headstrong and getting herself into all kinds of different adventures. Of course if they had a boy instead…she smiled at the thought that he might grow up a spitting image of his father.

She hadn't known she'd get pregnant let alone this soon. When she'd been married to Pierce, she thought him too much a boy himself to be a father to any children and besides she'd been gripped by wanderlust that kept at her until she'd finally surrendered to it and done some traveling. But she'd seen what she'd wanted to see and maybe later on when the children were grown, she and Ethan could take off together. No guarantee given the harshness of life in this region and his chosen profession but it was something to dream of happening in the future. But she wanted children and she hadn't realized that until she got pregnant. Outside of marriage of course but Ethan had made sure that was taken care of quickly enough. He'd returned on Christmas Eve and got the news then they got married before the New Year began. But it didn't feel rushed at all as they had planned to marry before they were separated for three months, it just felt right.

There'd been some gossip when news got out that she'd put the baby before the wedding but most of the town had celebrated the news and had been supportive of the new family. Despite some of the pettiness, the town tended to come together most of the time against adversity.

Emily finally smiled.

"It's for Ben…he's my beau."

Amelia's eyes widened, surprised to hear the girl say it. Ben certainly seemed more circumspect on the subject. But he did spend time with her during recess according to Claire.

"That's nice…I'm sure he'll like it."

Emily walked back to her desk pleased despite the circumstances. Ben looked up when he saw her approach and patted the desk chair for her. She smiled at him sitting down as she resumed her math problems.

Buck walked over to her and she steeled himself for his arrival. She knew something about the morning would change everything and she wanted to be ready.

"Good morning…I trust you slept well."

She shot him a direct look.

"You care how we slept? I did but then I was quite tired."

"You miss your husband I bet."

She furrowed her brow.

"Yes I do…I've grown to like him a lot."

He chuckled.

"I bet…what do you like in a man? The way he looks or how smart or rich he is?"

She appeared to think about it though she knew the answer.

"I like men who aren't outlaws…"

He didn't seem to like that answer but he kept a smile on his face.

"You might just have to watch your mouth."

She folded her arms.

"You asked me a question I answered it," she said, "You're the ones here with the guns making all the threats. Why should what I say bother you?"

He grabbed her arm suddenly and she fought the urge to yank it away.

"What if I decide to take you with me," he said, "to make sure we get out of town without getting shot in the back."

She felt some fear that he might decide to do that but it'd be better if it was here than the children. She could escape from them when she had the chance. She'd gotten good at that.

"I don't think your husband would like that," Buck said, "Is he out there right now watching the schoolhouse wondering what's happening to you?"

He had more than a hint of menace in his voice. She really had to tread carefully with him even when he tried to act friendly.

"I don't think so," she said, "besides even if he was, what's he going to do about it? You're in control here and I think everyone knows that."

"The marshal thinks he's the boss."

Amelia smiled.

"He's a bit headstrong like that with everything," she said, "Don't take it personally. It's just the job."

Buck narrowed his eyes.

"You know him well?"

Amelia paused thinking ahead of herself.

"In passing on the street…and sometimes I see him at church."

* * *

Ethan looked over at Dakota who'd poured himself more of that thick dark coffee. He'd had enough of it himself not wanting to feel too wired. He knew that Buck would make his move on him and he had Dakota and Clancy get up early with Bob and Lukas joining in. They all ate some breakfast and then got ready to do as Ethan told them.

He had eaten himself though not very much. Even with his job to do, he still thought of Amelia and the children inside the schoolhouse. They must be safe because it's been so quiet most of the night. He hadn't moved his men against Buck's because he knew what Buck would do to the hostages.

Somewhere during the early morning, he'd drifted off to sleep in his chair and woke up suddenly, unaware that he had nodded off. He'd dreamed he was back in the new house with Amelia and the children playing and laughing outside. Only Amelia had a baby in her arms, their baby. Small yet strong with a shock of dark hair….he'd walked over to her and she'd handed it to him. He hadn't held many babies in his life but in his dream he'd handled their child as if he'd done it all the time.

"How you feeling this morning…?"

He looked up and saw John Taylor walking in smiling despite the grimness of the situation. Ethan took that as a good sign.

"I'm ready to find out what he really wants."

"Ethan you know what he wants," John Taylor said, "He wants to kill you after he kills those you love."

"That's not going to happen. I won't let it. He's not going to avenge his cousins' deaths."

"He's going to try Ethan and he wants it badly," John Taylor said, "It's going to take a lot to stop him."

He knew that but he also knew that no one would take his family away from him.

"I'm going to get them all out of there," Ethan said, "If it's between me and Buck, he doesn't need them."

"But he wants them to use against you and he'll do whatever he takes," John Taylor, "And that's how you must act…before he has a chance."

Ethan settled in a chair.

"I know…I don't want to lose them…by making a mistake."

"You'll be fine," John Taylor said, "Ethan you're very good at your job…you've been doing it for so long. You can beat Buck and his men…compared to your other roles, this one should come easily."

Ethan sighed.

"Easier than ranching…being an uncle and a father…a husband," he said, "Those haven't been easy but they mean much more."

"Remember that Ethan when you face Buck but don't show him that side of you…let him see the gunslinger but you be everything else."

Ethan thought he understood what his old friend meant. He'd handled the gun easily always even as an angry younger man but when it came to looking after the children…running a household…and then marrying the woman he loved…those had come a lot tougher. Though he wouldn't change anything.

"The children are probably hungry…Amelia's probably feeling sick and I just want to bring them home."

Ethan felt as ragged as he probably sounded but he knew what he had to do. He had to kill Buck before he had a chance to enact his revenge. There'd be no giving him more food, fresh horses or cooperating with his demands while anticipating his next move…

He gestured to Dakota and the others and they all went outside to do what needed to be done. But Buck had his own plans.


	17. Chapter 17

Ethan and Dakota walked outside into the quiet street after the sun came up over the hills. Everything looked still including the schoolhouse. Clancy and Bob stayed behind them and Lukas had gotten up to the balcony of a nearby building. Ethan figured that Buck and his men hadn't slept much and they'd be up guarding everybody and keeping a lookout.

This was getting too familiar to him. Having to deal with outlaws riding into town and holding people hostage including those he cared about but he knew he could handle them. This is what he was trained and experienced to do rather than do ranching or even rear children.

There was no sign of movement inside the schoolhouse and he went over the floor plan inside his head. He'd been to services in there with family including the very first one on a New Year's Eve and the last when he'd gotten married there. He'd shot and killed a man bent on vengeance against him as well just inside the doorway. Churches were supposed to be places of worship but sometimes a man had to do what he had to do and if he had to kill someone there to protect his family then that's what he did.

Dakota walked over to him.

"You think he's waiting for something?"

Ethan nodded, figuring as much. He didn't think that Buck would have his men start shooting at them on the street but he had a plan. It wasn't to get the horses and ride on out of here.

"We'll be ready whatever he's got planned."

Ethan hoped so but he didn't expect any easy time of it. But he'd been awake all night missing his family and having to push that outside of his head. His planning on what to do had to come first. As he walked slowly towards the schoolhouse, his instincts told him that Buck was watching him but he wasn't taking any overt action. That's when he knew that Buck was drawing him closer, wanting him to keep moving so he stopped.

And he waited.

* * *

Amelia saw where Buck was looking out the window. That told her that Ethan and other men were just outside and were going to engage the outlaws. She hoped that Buck would signal them to bring over the horses for them to ride out of town on but she knew he had other plans. And that part of it was to hurt Ethan or kill him. She figured though he didn't plan to do so quickly. If this was all about revenge, then he'd take the slower route. Perhaps involve some of the children in his plans. She had to do whatever she could do to stop him from using them.

Buck didn't know that she had any real ties to Ethan let alone that she was married to him. Maybe she could make that work for him…and to keep him from finding out which children were Ethan's family too. The outlaws including Buck hadn't mentioned anything about that so she figured they didn't know who was who in this town. The other outlaws had been equally clueless as they had just rode into town to just take cover and hole up someplace while the law chased them from their last episode of mayhem and bloodshed. But Buck chose this town and the schoolhouse specifically for his plans.

She wished she could see him, her husband but she knew she had to stay where she was and watch from there. Claire walked back over to her after giving some of the children a math lesson.

"What's going on outside…?"

"I don't know Claire," Amelia said, "Maybe some negotiations between Buck and Ethan to end it."

Claire sighed.

"I don't think they're going to let us go."

Amelia couldn't argue with Claire but she knew they had to be patient and watchful for any opportunity to help Ethan and the men outside.

"We'll get through this Claire," she said, "We just have to play it smart and figure out any weaknesses in Buck and his men and use them."

Claire nodded. She'd remembered what she'd learned that time at the hotel.

"He doesn't know who we are does he? About Ben, George and me and…you…"

"No he doesn't," Amelia said, "That could change in a flash so we'd better still be ready."

She knew that life had taught her to expect anything and everything and that whatever came up, she'd have to deal with it. Like when her first husband had abandoned her and she'd wanted to just stay in the house and never leave it. Too much had happened between them for her to be heartbroken but she felt humiliated and saddened, a little bit scared. She'd forced herself outside acting as if everything was normal and opening the bank up for business that first very long and difficult day. Still, she'd been much the topic on the tip of many tongues in town including among the ladies' auxiliary. She'd been in charge of it and had to step away from that because the bank took all of her time but when she'd gone into meetings, she noticed a change in the demeanor when she entered the room.

The way that people looked at her when she'd gone out on the streets or in the stores. Customers at the bank, though to her credit and survival they had kept their accounts there rather than pulling their money out. They knew she'd done most of the hard work anyway and if a woman owning a business in Paradise was a novelty, they'd gotten over it.

Ethan and she hadn't crossed paths much then as he'd spent most of his time out of town chasing outlaws and when he was in town, he'd been at the saloon and hotel. In fact when the children first arrived, he'd been bedridden by a bullet wound. She'd had to take over their care and helping them get settled in a new place.

Suddenly she saw Buck move away from the window and walk towards her.

"You want to see your husband?"

His words startled her…did he know that she and Ethan…but maybe not she'd just play along with him.

"My husband, what do you mean?"

"You said he wasn't around and if you want, I can have them bring him to you…"

She felt taken aback. Oh god how was he going to talk her way out of this one?

"You can get him?"

"If I make it a term all I have to do is threaten to kill someone."

"Why would you do that?"

"Kill…oh I do that to get what I want and survive…"

"No…I mean have them get my husband."

"Because I can…and you look like you miss him."

She didn't know where this was coming from and maybe he was trying to trick her. But she had to act fast. She shook her head.

"No…it's all right I can wait to see him."

"If the men outside screw up, you won't be seeing him…don't you understand? You'll be dead."

The starkness of that word hit her hard but she stayed composed. Knowing she needed to do that if they were all going to get out of here alive.

"I can do it."

She nodded up at him.

"I know but you see….he doesn't want to see me," she said, "We're not getting along together."

Claire just shot her a look but said nothing. Amelia knew she lied and she didn't like it but she had people to protect including Ethan. She didn't want to make his work harder for him.

"The marshal out there is going to do something that gets you killed," he said, "Then you won't have that chance."

Amelia and Claire looked at each other.

"Why would you care," Amelia asked, "We're nothing to you, just a means to your ends."

His face hardened.

"Damn straight about that but I was just doing you a favor…you should be grateful."

Amelia shook her head.

"I don't think so…I told you how I feel about my…husband and maybe you'd better just go…"

He frowned.

"I was going to offer you some food…but now I won't…"

Her mouth remained a fine line.

"I'm not hungry anyway."

That was the truth…she felt nauseous and didn't know if she could blame it all on the pregnancy.

"Besides I think they're waiting for you outside."

"Yes they are right on schedule," he said, "including the town marshal. Why don't you come outside with me while I talk to them?"

She didn't react to that though it startled her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her up next to him. They walked through the schoolhouse and walked outside the front door onto the steps. She looked out and saw Ethan standing there with Dakota and a couple of the ranchers nearby. All had their hands near their holsters. She knew that Buck and his men would be ready too.

Ethan saw her too and his eyes widened.


	18. Chapter 18

Amelia felt herself being pulled out of the schoolhouse by one of Buck's men and she didn't resist. Everyone had their guns out alongside her and the men in front of her including Ethan were ready to draw there on a dime.

She looked out at her husband and she saw concern in his eyes but not panic. He'd know what to do, being fully experienced in just about every situation involving an outlaw. He trusted her to know how to handle herself too. He also knew that she'd look after the children as she always had in a crisis. It had nearly overwhelmed her one time and she'd taken off but she'd return when she had realized that she loved her family too much to stay away.

"What's going on here?"

Ethan asked Buck that and the man just looked at him.

"What about our horses?"

"You'll get them when you tell us why you're dragging that woman out here."

Amelia watched him and saw that he'd acted as if it were just unusual…that they'd expected to provide the fresh horses, stand aside and let the outlaws ride on out of here after they released the hostages. But she knew that Buck wanted more, he wanted bloodshed to match that which befell his cousins. Ethan was the target and she knew Buck wanted to kill him after making him suffer first. She wasn't about to make that easier for him. Hence the back story about her husband so he wouldn't find out about her marriage to Ethan. Just like he didn't know which children inside the schoolhouse were part of his family.

"I am looking for her husband."

Ethan looked confused and Amelia just gave him a look that told him to play along with her. Fortunately they didn't need words to communicate.

"Is that true Amelia?"

She grimaced.

"Yes he insists on dragging him out here to see me," she said, "but he hasn't been around lately."

"No he hasn't…he's out of town right now," Ethan said playing along, "won't be back for days."

She'd remembered what it'd been like to be abandoned by her first husband, to wake up one morning and not see him. Despite the tensions, the arguments between them she never expected him to just run off. For a while, she thought he might be dead because she discovered more about him when he was gone than when she'd been married to him. Oh he'd played her for a naïve fool using her to further his scams without her knowing it.

But she'd been naïve in ways having to do with men growing up with a father who taught her to use her fists and an assortment of weapons to keep them at bay. Then the family who had sponsored her had plans to set her up with a nice gentleman until Pierce swept in and mucked up that, wanting her for himself.

The only saving grace was that she hadn't gotten pregnant. They hadn't planned for children at all and Pierce had been too immature to be a father, a skill that fortunately hadn't been tested. When she'd gotten pregnant after she and Ethan got back together, he'd been gone with the children visiting their long lost relatives in Virginia City. She'd been overwhelmed by it but she trusted in him to return to her and never thought he'd abandon her. When people in town figured it out, she thought they might gossip about her being in that condition without being married but while some of them did for a brief spell, most of them had helped her. Getting the Christmas pageant to manage had been a godsend getting her mind off of herself and when Ethan had returned, she shared her news and he'd been overjoyed as she knew he would be.

He took such good care of her and made sure she got plenty of rest and ate good food when she could keep it down. Helped her when she felt sick, he'd been excited about the pregnancy in ways she understood from knowing his secrets. The children had been happy too once they realized that the baby wouldn't supplant its parents love for them. Besides, they all loved the new house by the lake.

Now she stood there next to a man who would kill her if he felt he had to do it. He might do it for pleasure if he found out she had ties to the marshal in front of him. She wouldn't let him hurt anyone in the schoolhouse so she knew she had to keep thinking…even as fear threatened to envelop her. After all, she knew he was ruthless but how much?

* * *

Ethan just looked at Buck and Amelia his hand on his gun but he knew he couldn't shoot Buck and all his men before one of them could hurt his wife. He knew that Buck didn't know her ties to him and seemed to believe her version of her background. So he knew he had to play along.

"Okay…so we can't find her husband," he said, "What is it that you want?"

Buck smiled.

"I'm looking for a wife myself and if her husband can't give her the attention she needs…"

Ethan gritted his teeth wondering if he was sincere or whether this was just bait. You could never tell with a man like Buck if he didn't know what was going on or playing a role. So Ethan just cut to the chase.

"I know about your cousins," he said, "the ones who rolled into town, shot up a hotel and took hostages like you and your gang."

Buck's face changed and his grip on Amelia tightened.

"Then you know that I know three people killed my cousins," he said, "You, a woman and some old Indian guy."

Ethan blinked his eyes. So Buck did know what happened to his cousins.

"I want you to bring me the woman and the Indian," he said, "Then I'll take those two and release some of the hostages…including children."

Ethan froze for a moment. He didn't know what to do because he knew that Buck wanted to kill the three of them, him, Amelia and John Taylor. Only he had one of them all ready…and Ethan didn't want him to know that.

"So you get them and bring them here," Buck said, "I'll give you several hours."

Ethan watched as Buck pulled Amelia back into the schoolhouse with the rest of his men. He felt at a loss of what to do but he had to think of something fast. He knew John Taylor wouldn't hesitate to offer himself up but his wife…no he couldn't let on that she was already a hostage. Too much was at stake and now he had to come up with a new plan to bring it to an end.

And most certainly that meant killing Buck and his gang before they could carry out their plan of revenge.

* * *

Amelia sighed as she walked back towards Claire after Buck had released her.

"What happened?"

"Your uncle is out there with Dakota and some others," she said, "He wants them to bring the two other people who killed his cousins at the hotel."

Claire's eyes widened.

"But that's John Taylor and…"

"Yes but he'll kill all the hostages if Ethan doesn't do it," she said, "I can't let that happen so I'm going to have to just tell Buck."

Claire shook her head.

"No you can't…he'll kill you."

Amelia rubbed the back of her neck.

"I have no intention of letting him do that," she said, "I'll have to come up with a plan too."

"What?"

Amelia paused, her mind working like quicksilver.

"I don't know yet but I'll think of something," she said, "After all, we've been in worse situations."

Claire sighed.

"I'll help you plan…"

Amelia nodded and they both watched Buck talking with the other men closely.

* * *

Ethan walked back to the saloon with Dakota not liking the challenge that had been given to him by Buck. The outlaw had finally shown a different hand and Ethan didn't know what to do. He didn't want Buck to find out that he already had Amelia captive. But it would only be a matter of time…

Dakota sighed.

"What are we doing to do?"

"We'll have to come up with a plan," he said, "I need to talk to John Taylor."

"He's outside with the horses tending to them."

Ethan knew that his long time friend would do whatever it took to help him release the hostages but it'd be risky because Buck looked determined to get his revenge. But they had to come up with a way to stop him.

He knew that wouldn't be easy but he was determined that the outlaw not have his way.


	19. Chapter 19

Amelia wondered if the situation had gotten better or worse after Buck and his men took her back inside the schoolhouse. Claire still sat in the back of the room with Emily working on her Valentine for Ben who with George were trying to play a game amid the hostage situation. She had told Claire what Buck wanted, the three people responsible for killing his cousins in the hotel.

Meaning Ethan, John Taylor and her…and so she and Claire started to try to plan what to do on their end to help the men outside.

"You can't let them know you killed one of them," Claire said, "Uncle Ethan and Dakota will figure out what to do."

"I know but Buck only gave them several hours," Amelia said, "That doesn't give them much time before they have to do what they want."

Claire shook her head.

"I don't know what's going to happen but I know they won't let anything bad happen if they can help it."

"Buck also thinks I'm married to another man too," she said, "But I explained that husband is unable to be located when he wanted Ethan to fetch him."

Too many complications added to a volatile situation, Amelia thought but she didn't know what to do. She was trapped in a schoolhouse with two other women and a group of children and she felt responsible for them.

She'd do whatever it took to protect them and get them out safely even if…but no she couldn't forget that it wasn't just her own life involved. She had the unborn baby to protect too. Ever since she'd found out that she'd gotten pregnant, she'd been looking forward to the future, one with her and Ethan adding to their already good sized family.

So she had to somehow take care of herself too.

"Buck's talking to his men," Ella said, joining them, "I don't think he's happy with what happened."

"He wants to avenge his cousins' death and Ethan's not making it easy," Amelia said, "Plus Ethan asked for more time than he wanted to give him."

"How much longer is this going to last," Ella asked, "the children are getting restless."

"We'll have to keep them distracted," Claire said, "Just keep acting like it's a normal day."

"These men being here isn't normal and some of them have asked when they're going home."

Amelia watched them and she watched Buck leave the men and head in their direction. He smiled when he saw the three women sitting together.

"You're doing a good job keeping the children quiet," he said, "It shouldn't be much longer."

Ella sighed.

"How much longer?"

He appeared amused at her words.

"You in a hurry to get out of here…?"

Ella didn't respond to that but Claire looked at him carefully.

"The children miss their parents," she said, "and it's hard for them not to react to what's happening."

His eyes hardened.

"You'd better make sure they stay quiet," he said, "or we'll be forced to do it for you."

Claire knew that he meant it. Buck turned his attention to Amelia.

"So you going to sit and wait until your husband shows up?"

She just looked at her hands.

"I told you I don't expect him," she said, "Who knows when he'll show up? He fancies himself a free spirit."

Buck chuckled.

"He leaves a pretty thing like you unattended to," he said, "I should shoot him just for that. I could do that if you'd like."

She tightened her lips.

"No…no need to do that," she said, "I'll just save some choice words for him when he returns home."

She remembered what it had been like when she'd been married to Pierce and the nights she waited for him to return home from the saloon to her. At first she thought he might be spending time with a saloon girl or two but she realized soon enough that she wasn't losing him to another woman but to an assortment of get rich schemes. She hadn't learned the complete truth about him until after he'd taken off. When Ethan had broken some unwanted news about her husband she'd wanted to hit him mostly because she'd wanted to hit something but he didn't use it against her like other town's people had done.

"Why would a pretty thing like yourself waste time with a man like that?"

She shot him a look.

"You mean when I could end up with an outlaw?"

He set his mouth in a fine line and she knew her comment hit its mark.

"I know how to take care of a fine woman."

"I'm sure you do…all of you outlaws do," she said, "but I'll hang on to my husband for a while longer."

He frowned.

"I'm going to let you all go," he said, "as soon as I finish some business with the marshal and the others who murdered my cousins in cold blood."

Amelia bristled at that because that was so far away from what actually had happened. But she didn't dare argue with him.

* * *

Ethan walked up to John Taylor who had returned from tending the horses.

"I heard what happened," he said, "Buck wants to face off with those who shot his cousins."

Ethan nodded.

"That includes you and also Amelia…"

John Taylor went to pour himself some tea that Rosie had brewed in the kitchen.

"She's already in there with him and he doesn't know it."

"No he doesn't," Ethan said, "and I don't want him to know that she's there…it's safer that way for her and for the others."

"Until he finds out the truth…and that you both lied to him."

Ethan protested.

"Didn't lie…just didn't share that information with him."

John Taylor shrugged.

"Same difference as far as he's concerned," he said, "and then Amelia and the children will be at his mercy."

"They are already…he and his men could just decide to kill the hostages at any moment."

John Taylor sipped his drink.

"But they won't…because they need them at least long enough so they have you and I where they want us."

Ethan knew that was Buck's strategy and he had to come up with a way to outsmart the outlaws. Not much time left to do that, he already had to come up with a reason why Amelia couldn't show up. He knew that inside the schoolhouse she had concocted a version of events where she had a husband that wasn't the town marshal…but other than that he didn't know much.

Charlie walked up to him quickly.

"There's a wire…it just came in," he said, "Someone is on his way here to offer his services…"

Ethan felt puzzled.

"Who…?"

"It's something to do with Pierce Lawson, you know the man who was married to Amelia and then just took off one day."

Ethan looked over at John Taylor.

"What does he have to do with any of this with Buck and his gang?"

Charlie shrugged.

"I'm just delivering the message. I have no idea and it doesn't give that information in just a few words."

Ethan hardened his expression.

"If Pierce shows up anywhere near here, I'm going to kill him."

He felt so certain about that and John Taylor just remained silent. Charlie seemed shocked by his words.

"Why would you do that Ethan?"

"He knows why…and I'm not getting into it right now," Ethan said, "but he'd have it coming."

Charlie just shook his head.

"Ethan I think you've lost it in the head," he said, "You sure you can handle this crisis?"

Ethan flexed his jaw.

"I can do that Charlie…I'll need your help," he said, "John Taylor and I are going to have to go out there and face Buck and his men. I don't want him to find out that Amelia's already in there with him."

Charlie knew better than to challenge him on his words.

"Okay I can do that," he said, "What else?"

"I'm going to need more men starting with Clancy and Bob," he said, "Lukas too…but not too close to me and not in sight."

Charlie nodded. Ethan knew he had to keep calm while doing his planning. If it threw him to have Pierce tossed into the equation, he had to put that aside until he got the hostages away from Buck.

* * *

Amelia looked over at Buck and then back at Claire. She remembered back to the siege in the hotel with a gang of outlaws who were desperate and ruthless, even more so when cornered. She'd done her best to play them off of one another and had to make some difficult decisions. She'd do the same here if necessary to get the children out of here.

She didn't want anyone making that choice for her.


	20. Chapter 20

Ethan knew that he had to act quickly if he were going to go out there with Dakota, Clancy and anyone else. Lukas had listened to them and had gone on the balcony of one of the buildings across from the schoolhouse.

He'd been through this situation too many times already. Seeing his loved ones put at risk and being exploited by outlaws with a grudge against him. They were his weakness but he'd never trade the time he'd spent with them since they'd arrived two years ago. He'd been laid up in a hotel nearly dying of a gunshot wound with John Taylor treating him and Amelia left to take care of the children who showed up just off the stage. She'd been shocked when she'd discovered they were kin of his and they had come from St. Louis to visit him while their mama took sick.

She'd given him a piece of her mind about it while he lay bandaged up but later she'd told him he could lease a ranch owned by the bank. Though he'd riled her up when he'd gotten into saying she was just about business. That had cut her to the quick more than once. But now that outspoken businesswoman was his wife and carrying his first child. He'd fallen in love with her since then and couldn't shake it even when she'd broken off with him and taken off on a stagecoach out of Paradise.

He nursed a drink right now, couldn't help it. Most of his family but Joseph was at the mercy of Buck and his gang and right now all he could do was wait. Just like that other night when they'd been held hostage by the cousins in the hotel…one of the hardest nights of his life… he hadn't had the children that long but they'd grown on him and the thought of losing them…it almost tore him up. But he knew with Amelia in there to take care of them, they'd be safe until he could rescue them.

When Ben had asked him who'd take care of her, he didn't answer…because he knew that in the hotel she was on her own and he knew all the terrible things that could happen. Claire had told him some of what it'd been like because Amelia didn't say much just that she was glad it had ended. But the way when he thanked her afterward that she'd looked into his eyes and then melted in his arms, spoke volumes and he knew on some level he took her for granted.

He couldn't do that anymore, he told himself yet he'd kept on doing it. That she'd always be there waiting for him when he came back from a dangerous job or sitting by his side when he'd been shot…which she'd done and it had nearly broken her.

She'd come back months after she left stronger but with her own demons. He knew all about battling them through his own life and when she'd pushed him away, he'd been patient. The children had welcomed her back and she had been the one to tell them all about the wire that came in about their long lost uncle and aunt in Virginia City.

He'd taken them there and gotten a job at a mine and wound up staying longer than he wanted…but the children had so little family left that he had done this for them.

"So you think you can handle him?"

Ethan looked over at Dakota.

"I know I can handle him," he said, "He's not going to get what he wants."

"He wants to get you riled up by his revenge plan so you'll do something rash."

Ethan sighed.

"It's not going to happen," he said, "I've been doing this long…most of my life."

Dakota shook his head.

"Can't even imagine that," he said, "Course I was mad at you most of my life."

Ethan and he had put that behind them and had worked together quite well. They had even become friends and Dakota had been best man at his and Amelia's wedding.

"I'll do whatever it takes to help," Dakota said, "and I mean it."

Ethan knew the younger man meant it. He just wished they could end it quick. Get the hostages away from the outlaws and he could be reunited with his family. They were all supposed to have been at a party last night; he should have been dancing with his wife. If Buck and his gang took that away from him…he'd never let that happen.

He just had to find a way of making that clear.

* * *

Amelia and Claire had watched as Buck grew more agitated. They'd taken extra care at making sure the children stayed quiet but they were getting more and more impatient with having to stay inside the schoolhouse and away from their families.

Amelia knew the feeling. Right now all she wanted was to be with her husband, to feel his arms around her holding her tightly. Her head against his chest, knowing that the children were safe. She thought of their own baby…Ethan had been so thrilled when he learned he would be a father. She'd told him after he and the children returned to town after reconnecting with their long lost relatives for several months in Virginia City. She hadn't known what his reaction would be. Their family was already large and she'd thought maybe after they had a chance to settle into married life they might talk about it…but they hadn't waited until marriage to reconnect physically and well, that made it more likely that they'd be having a baby.

She thought of him in the saloon planning on how he, Dakota and the others were going to help them inside the schoolhouse. She knew he'd come up with a plan and she knew that she and Claire would have to help him.

"What you doing over here?"

They looked up and saw Buck standing there.

"Waiting to see what happens next," Amelia said, "Why are you so upset?"

She asked it in a calm voice but he didn't take it that way. He shot her a suspicious look.

"Why you asking," He said, "You know if I want to, I can make sure you never see your husband again."

Amelia had no doubt about that and she had to be careful with him.

"I know that and I'm not sure I want to see him again anyway."

Buck seemed to relent a bit.

"You sure he's not around town?"

Amelia glanced over at Claire and sighed.

"No…I told you he's taken off again," she said, "There's no saying when he'll be back."

"Too bad…because he could have come here and said goodbye…"

A chill hit Amelia because she knew that Buck's temper was proving to be quite volatile and one wrong move or word could set him off. Against the hostages and the men outside too…and if it was all about revenge he wouldn't care anyway.

"I don't think he'd bother even if he knew you were going to kill us."

Treading very cautiously but she looked at him in the eye for a second before looking away, not challenging him with her words.

"You can't be right about that."

"I know my husband," she said, "and he cares more about commodities and people unless he sees people as commodities."

Buck just stared at her for a long moment.

"Besides, you told the marshal that you wanted for him to return with the people who shot your cousins."

Buck nodded his eyes steely.

"Damn cousins…they weren't smart holing up in a hotel like that," he said, "Taking women and children was smart but the rest of it…getting your own man shot."

"So you think you can make it better by doing it better."

He scowled.

"No, by avenging their deaths," he said, "The marshal and the others have to pay for what they did."

Amelia's heart beat faster when she heard him say that and the vehemnance in his voice. But she forced herself to remain calm and she saw that Claire did her best to not react as well.

"That doesn't sound very smart," she said, "You kill them here on the street and you won't make it out of Paradise alive…"

"We've got a plan," he said, "and it'll get us out of here. Whether or not you and the others will survive has been left open and is up to the marshal."

Amelia thought quickly, what was she going to say to influence him? She knew that Ethan had figured out the revenge plot and would take his own actions accordingly.

"But if you're going to kill him…"

Buck got agitated.

"Be quiet, it's not for you to know," he said, "You should worry about your own lives."

She remained silent as he paced a little bit, clearly on edge. He must know that Ethan and the others weren't going to go easily. After all, his cousins hadn't survived their matchup with Ethan. Even with most of the town against him, he had still prevailed. She remembered what it had been like when the robbers forced her at gunpoint to rob her own bank. But she knew she had no choice, the hostages would be killed if she didn't cooperate. Ethan remained close by to her at all times. She knew he worried about Claire and George and she had to do her best to remain calm to protect them and Scotty and Mary's baby.

Now she was faced in the same situation only there were more children and yes…a baby too. But she watched Buck continue to pace and bark at his men and she wondered if he would come to the breaking point…even before Ethan faced off with him.

* * *

Ethan looked out the window at the empty lot near the schoolhouse. He knew that he wouldn't be able to comply with Buck's demand because there was no way he'd put Amelia in more danger. But he had every intention of bringing this siege to an end.


	21. Chapter 21

George walked up to Claire and Amelia where they sat at the back of the schoolhouse.

"What's up George," Claire asked.

He looked troubled.

"Emily and the others want to go home," he said, "Ben and I are trying to tell stories to help them forget the bad men."

Claire smiled.

"That's good George," she said, "That'll help them feel better. We'll be able to go home soon."

"How soon…?"

Claire glanced over at Amelia.

"Soon… Uncle Ethan and Dakota are out there trying to help us be able to leave here and go home…"

George frowned.

"What about the party?"

"Party…?"

George nodded.

"Yes…the grownups party," he said, "and dancing? Wasn't your secret Valentine going to dance with you?"

Claire had almost forgotten about all that and hadn't figured out who it would be. She'd wondered if it had been Charles or Lukas or someone else…even, she dared not even think it, Dakota. No, she was pretty certain it wasn't him. He still thought of her as a young girl and not a woman even one who was teaching school right now and working at Axelrod's store not to mention saving up for college or traveling.

She didn't need to be told by anyone that she wasn't old enough for him or anyone else.

"I don't know who that person is George," she said, "I don't have any idea who it might be."

George furrowed his brow.

"It's not Lukas?"

She shrugged.

"He hasn't said anything to be about it…but then neither has Charles."

George just sighed.

"What about Dakota?"

She just stared at her brother not able to believe what he'd just said and then we went back to sit next to Ben and Emily who had a smile on her face. The children had held up amazingly well considering they were unable to leave the schoolhouse and were being held hostage by a gang of outlaws carrying a grudge. Really, if they were so upset with what had happened to their cousins in the hotel, they could have left the children out of it. But then Amelia remembered, that the other outlaws had used the children and women to pull the men into line to do what they wanted lest they start hurting their hostages or worth.

"He's already got a Valentine….," Claire said, even though George had left.

"Dakota's a nice man, with the makings of a better one," Amelia said, "but he's not ready to settle down."

"Neither am I…have I planned to do so many things before I do that…"

Amelia smiled at her.

"I should hope so," she said, "There's a whole world out there Claire and you'll have many adventures to last you the rest of your life."

"You had a lot of them didn't you?"

Amelia nodded.

"Yes…some with my husband of course but others when I left Paradise," she said, "I'm happy I was able to do it…though not all of it I want to remember."

Claire remembered what they'd all experienced months earlier but now later on, everything had changed in a much better way for all of them.

"I'd like to go to some of the big cities…San Francisco…Chicago…maybe back to St. Louis…"

That's where she'd had family but no one to take care of them except for Uncle Ethan. She did dream about looking at all the fine dresses in the stores and going to plays and musical revues at theaters, even circuses. But she hadn't yet decided whether or not she'd go to a teachers' college or travel first. It depended on how much money she'd earned to start with and so far she'd put away quite a bit of it at the bank.

Buck and Slim walked over to them.

"You eager to get out of here…?"

Amelia and Claire just looked at the two of them not saying anything.

"That marshal's going to get us the old Indian and the woman who killed my cousins and it's going to be a bit of a reunion."

Claire's eyes widened.

"What…what do you mean?"

Amelia knew the answer already but wasn't going to volunteer that information. As tempted as she was to tell him her real identity, she trusted Ethan enough to follow his lead. She'd just have to play along with it.

Buck just looked at the two women as if expecting differently and Amelia wondered if he did know the truth.

"Back when my cousins were here…a couple years ago…they holed up in a hotel with some hostages," he said, "Only because they had picked up the federal forces on their tail…they weren't going to hurt anyone who didn't try to escape."

Amelia sighed.

"Yes…that's what every outlaw says."

Buck sneered at her.

"They meant it but then the marshal tricked them into letting him in the hotel and then he ambushed them before they could defend themselves."

Amelia and Claire both looked at each other thinking that was twisting the facts a lot.

"They had robbed trains and killed innocent people including children," Amelia said, "That's what the federal lawmen from the railroads told the town."

"Nobody was innocent," Buck said, "If they had just given them the food and fresh horses…"

"It wouldn't have been enough just like it's not with you."

Buck narrowed his eyes.

"How do you know?"

Amelia stared back at him.

"That's a good guess isn't it? They wanted more than that…they robbed the town's bank."

He nodded.

"A young woman managed it," he said, "She got the gold, copper and notes for them."

"Of her own free will of course…"

Buck watched her more closely.

"What is it to you?"

Amelia drew a deep breath.

"Nothing…I was enjoying time with my husband before he got so busy doing other things."

"I have yet to meet your husband or even see him."

She shrugged.

"You're lucky about that," she said, "and it's good enough he's not around…you're going to have your hands full enough with the marshal."

She watched his face twitch, in humor.

"I can imagine…though any man worth his salt can keep his wife in line…"

"You've been married?"

He shook his head too quickly.

"My lifestyle doesn't keep a woman around long."

"I'm not surprised," she said, "Must be a lot of traveling in between all this amoral and criminal behavior."

He didn't seem to like that.

"You speak back to your husband a lot?"

"All the time," she said, "He often needs it."

"I have yet to meet your husband or even see him."

She shrugged.

"You're lucky about that," she said, "and it's good enough he's not around…you're going to have your hands full enough with the marshal."

She watched his face twitch, in humor.

"I can imagine…though any man worth his salt can keep his wife in line…"

"You've been married?"

He shook his head too quickly.

"My lifestyle doesn't keep a woman around long."

"I'm not surprised," she said, "Must be a lot of traveling in between all this amoral and criminal behavior."

He didn't seem to like that.

"You speak back to your husband a lot?"

"All the time," she said, "He often needs it."

She saw him scowl and get up to walk away again.

"We'll see how the marshal responds to our demands," he said, "If he'll bring the two others who killed my cousins in cold blood so I can exact some justice…the sooner that's done, the sooner you can all go home."

Amelia watched him head back to the front of the schoolhouse knowing what he had planned.

* * *

Ethan met up with John Taylor while Dakota and Clancy went to round up some other men. John Taylor looked calm enough, ready to face Buck and his cousins.

"I killed one of their cousins…after I'd saved his life…"

"You were doing it to protect another life."

"I know that," John Taylor said, "but he doesn't seem to care."

Ethan rubbed his jaw line.

"I have a plan."

John Taylor smiled at him.

"I expect you do," he said, "We've got to get those hostages out safely."

Ethan knew that one person in the equation was missing and that was Amelia but there's no way he'd expose her to danger especially since Buck already had captured her as one of the hostages. He just didn't know it and as long as that was the case…she'd be as safe as she could be under the circumstances.

He'd just have to find a way to confront Buck without her and then act against him before he could take it out on the hostages. That would be the tricky part but he knew he and the others would find a way to make it work.


	22. Chapter 22

John Taylor looked out at the church.

"It looks so peaceful," he said, "The calm before the storm."

Ethan stood there alongside him.

"I know but we still have to be patient and that's the hardest part."

John Taylor patted him on the shoulder.

"They're fine Ethan…I'm sure Amelia and Claire are keeping cool heads in all this like last time."

Ethan didn't like the fact that there'd been a last time or a this time but life had proven dangerous in this small mining town when outlaws showed up to either flee from justice pursing them or to target its limited resources.

"I know…but it's harder being out here where it's safer and not being able to do anything," Ethan said, "to do my job."

"You are doing it…you know that you can't always fire your gun…or fire it first before you find out what's going on…you assess a situation and then you decide when to act. Then you wait for the right time."

"I don't know whether they'll be that right time John Taylor," he said, "I don't always get it right and I need to do that here."

John Taylor smiled.

"Your family will be just fine," he said, "We'll get them out of there. You've got Dakota…Clancy…Tiny and others…even that young Lukas."

Ethan knew he had some good men, maybe not enough of them but it'd have to do for now. He had a plan that he thought might work. He just had to wait for that moment, trying to time it just right so he didn't move too hastily or wait too long. There was an method to being marshal just like there had been to being a gunfighter. Perhaps to being a rancher too but he never got that job.

"It won't be much longer…It's been a long night…one of the longest…"

"I know but it's passed and tonight you'll be back with your family…"

Ethan hoped so…god he missed them so damn much. He'd never admit it, never admitted he'd gotten that soft so that anyone could come back and use that against him. A gunslinger couldn't go letting people know his weaknesses and neither could the town marshal. It made life tough at times but he knew it helped keep his family safe and helped him do his job better.

The schoolhouse still looked so quiet but he didn't know what was going on inside of it. Dakota walked up to him.

"So when do we go in there?"

Ethan looked at his deputy.

"Soon…"

* * *

Amelia just looked at Buck in surprise.

"My husband won't do as you want," she said, "Besides I told you he's not around town right now…he's still on the road I imagine."

"I can get the marshal to go haul him in," Buck said, "Have him cool his heels in jail first if you want before I talk with him."

Amelia paused, knowing she had to think fast. Damn this was getting complicated. She had just wanted to protect her husband and somehow it had spiraled from there.

"He can't be much of one the way he's let you run wild," Buck said, "You've got a mouth on you that no man should tolerate."

She folded her arms.

"My husband looks at me for wisdom in his own decisions," she said, "though he does say I talk sometimes when I shouldn't."

Buck sat on a desk wanting to hear further.

"So he punishes you when you don't?"

She furrowed her brow.

"No but he complains about it."

A smile appeared on his face.

"I can imagine…"

She went further trying to lure him in her story.

"Besides…it's Valentine's Day, the day that a husband and wife are supposed to be nice to one another…to honor their commitment and love and where's he? He's out on the road god knows where doing god knows what…while I wait for him."

She rubbed the back of her neck watching Buck's face at her narrative. He did look like he'd followed it but what did he know about such things anyway? He was an outlaw and said he had no time for women in his life…unless something had happened long ago.

"Then he needs to be tracked down and punished," he said, "I can do that when I'm done here."

Amelia bit her lip.

"I don't know…despite his bad behavior and rudeness…I do have some feeling for him and don't want to see him hurt."

"I won't hurt him…just make him cry a bit."

She imagined that he had all kinds of ways to do that even to a grown man. Not that Pierce had ever been that strong…he had been weak the whole time she knew him. It just took some years before she realized it. Even before he's skipped town to avoid trouble…he wasn't at all like Ethan. Ethan faced crises head on and he protected those he loved fiercely. She knew that…and she protected him. He didn't trust many people but when he admitted that he did trust her, she knew she'd always honor that.

"Maybe…later but what about you," she asked, "Surely there must have been someone."

She needed to buy them some time…get him in a less aggressive stance; make him more vulnerable for the attack she knew might come from the outside. Ethan wasn't sitting on his hands doing nothing and neither were his men. There might be a fight among different townspeople about what to do with this crisis but she knew Ethan's plan would prevail.

He'd always been a force of nature…and when he'd fallen in love with her…she'd still been wary of him. Unwilling to trust someone who lived by a gun…who could go off on horseback to find someone and never return…except in a box. She'd seen herself dressed in black standing by that box…feeling more grief…more agony than imaginable…until the one night she did see herself clearly there and it terrified her.

Scared her enough to make her run the first time in her life…but she'd come back. Somehow they'd find their way back together and then the pregnancy and marriage…not in the right order perhaps but they got it done.

Now she just had to get through this ordeal. Protect the children and herself until she was back home with all of them again under one roof.

Then she heard Buck speak.

"Perhaps…there was one woman…a long, long time ago."

* * *

Ethan looked over to where Clancy stood and motioned him to stand back. Bella had lent them some of her horses and right now she was going to help him on the other side. She'd wanted to do it…and when he'd resisted at first, reminded him that she could outride and outshoot most men if necessary. She'd been a former outlaw back in the day after all.

"And I know how one thinks…"

He nodded and she got on horseback and rode out with Lukas…giving the younger man some guidance. Bella had a strong maternal instinct in her even though he knew her to have no children.

They'd all wait there until he gave them the signal…but right now all he could remember were images from the past. The children looking down at him that first time when he'd been laid up in the hotel…Amelia and he shooting it out with some vengeful bank robbers…the times they'd nearly gotten married…when she left town…when she returned…her telling him about the baby and their wedding…their wonderful life since then.

All of them colliding inside of him making him realize how much was at stake. A reminder of what he still had to do….at just the right moment.


	23. Chapter 23

When the moment arrived, it caught Amelia off guard.

The outlaws led by Buck raced to the front of the schoolhouse by the door. Amelia got up to look out the window and saw that Ethan and Dakota led Clancy and some of the other men around the building. The outlaws got their guns and prepared to take aim.

"They're trying to ambush us…"

Buck yelled that out and then one of them rushed down the steps to fire his gun. Amelia's heart went in her throat. Oh god, Ethan was right in his crosshairs.

"Ethan…."

She yelled out the window and instead of looking at her as an inexperienced gunfighter might, he trusted her like the man who loved her and instead saw Slim line up his gun to take aim at him. His own hand shot to his holster and he had fired his gun before Slim knew what hit him.

Amelia watched the outlaw drop to the ground in a heap. Ethan didn't break stride enough to even look at him as he raced for cover to get closer to the schoolhouse.

Buck fired his gun just missing him and Amelia watched in horror as he shot at Dakota behind him but the deputy skirted out of the bullet's path and followed Ethan.

Claire ran up to her and her eyes were wide.

"I got the children down on the floor but what if the outlaws come back and shoot them?"

Amelia thought they were too focused on the men outside.

"The children will be fine," she said, "Stay with them…keep them calm and still. Ben and George need you there."

Claire nodded.

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine…I have to watch them," she said, "watch the blind spots."

Claire left her and she focused on Ethan and the others outside. She knew Ethan was in his element and would be one step ahead of Buck but she still worried anyway. That never changed and now that she was with child, his child, she felt it more keenly than she'd ever imagined.

But she no longer let that fear rule her life or their life together. She'd realized that life without him just wasn't what she wanted and after what had happened to her…it'd been hard enough rebuilding her life. He'd been there right with her helping her remember not to be afraid. He'd been patient with her telling her that he loved her no matter what.

Even when she'd believed she'd been broken…that she'd never get over what happened, he'd been there. She'd never believed happiness would find her again but the last six months had been so special.

"Ethan…the left…by the brush."

He turned his head and saw the outlaw Jack hiding there readying his gun to shoot but Ethan dinged him…not enough to render him defenseless.

The sound of gunfire crackled through the air, and the dust kicked up from all the movement. She felt helpless without a gun to help the men being able to shoot with the best of them from her life in Australia.

Ethan and Dakota gestured to Clancy and Lukas to take the flank positions and Amelia stood watching hoping it'd be over soon.

Her hand resting on her belly where her child grew…the child that just had to see its father after being born.

* * *

Ethan ran into a place close to the building where he could shield himself. Gunfire peppered the ground and so much dust kicked up it got harder to see. Amelia's voice had helped him and he knew he wouldn't rest until she and the others in the schoolhouse were safe.

What he'd rather do was hold her in his arms again, feel her heartbeat against his chest and her breath soft against him. The past six months they'd been together had been the best of his life so far. It'd been rocky between them when their pasts threatened to intrude but they'd been too much in love to let it get in the way this time. Even when it'd been so tough for her to let him close…after being hurt so badly.

He glanced up and saw Buck try to take aim at Dakota and fired his gun but missed him. He imagined Claire and the boys in there too probably lying on the floor scared but waiting for it all to be over. They depended on his gun fighting skills right now more than his parenting skills. The two collided often enough and had made it tough to be the father they needed, the one he'd wanted to be but he'd grown into it.

And now a new baby on the way…his own child the one he'd doubted would ever be born. When Amelia had told them they hadn't been married but he fixed that right quick. They'd built their house and settled into being a family. She'd been a great mother to the children…she would be to their baby too.

No, he had to much to fight for and live for inside that schoolhouse. No outlaws would take that away from him not as long as he stood on two feet.

He felt a bullet whiz by him fired by Jack and deftly fired back. That took him out for good leaving just Buck and one more. He watched Buck suddenly run back into the schoolhouse and he knew the man had grown more desperate.

That made him more dangerous.

"I'm going to set this place on fire if you don't back away."

Ethan froze and knew that the man could do it. Damn they had to come up with a plan fast.

* * *

Amelia watched Ethan rejoin Dakota and Lukas who for being young had certainly handled a gun well. She saw Buck run towards her with an angry look on his face.

"You know him don't you," he said, "You were trying to help the marshal."

She just looked at him as he grabbed her and started dragging her to the front of the schoolhouse.

"I'm going to set this place on fire and you'll all burn to death if I don't get what I want right now."

Amelia knew it was no idle threat.


	24. Chapter 24

Amelia remembered what it had been like when she and Ethan had been trying to solve that mystery that would help a young girl find her father. Okay, he hadn't turned out to be a model citizen. The opposite in fact but he'd cared for her when it counted.

That time had forced her to confront some truths of her own and that there were things she couldn't run away from in the form of one man.

He now stood out there with his deputies trying to get her and the others away from the gang holed up in the schoolhouse. But Buck felt cornered and that made him deadly.

"I'm going to burn it down."

She just stared at him trying to keep from shaking. That wasn't an option for her to just let him do that. She had a lot of lives to protect.

"Nothing to lose after all…"

She shook her head.

"I don't agree. You'd lose your life…"

"It's a miserable life if I wind up locked up in prison forever."

She sighed and glanced over at Claire who remained quiet.

"What about you," Buck said, "Your man ran out on you and hasn't come back for you."

She knew she had to keep him talking whatever it took. Ethan and the others had their own plan what to do and she had to help them however she could do it.

"He can stay gone. He was useless anyway," she said, "Never could handle a crisis."

Buck grumbled.

"Like I said, I could get him and take care of him for you."

"No…I'm better off without him and besides if we're all going to die in here…"

She could barely say the words. But she had a role to play, a hope to get out of here and have her life back.

"That depends on that marshal and his men," he said, "I don't want to kill no one let alone women but I got to do what I got to do."

She thought maybe he meant it. She remembered that his kin had deliberately tried to rile up the men by threatening to harm the women in different ways. Back then in the hotel, she'd played them against each other noting that some liked each other better than others and she'd used her body too.

"My family's near dead and gone thanks to the marshal," he said, "Killing like he did."

"They were threatening children," she said, "Just like you're doing right now and that's why they're mostly dead."

"He didn't have to kill them."

She'd killed one too using the gun behind the bar that she hid in her dress. But the outlaw had been about to shoot Ethan.

"You weren't there…."

* * *

Ethan remembered what it'd been like during the siege of the hotel. Standing outside of it at night with Joseph trying to explain to his nephew why they couldn't do anything. Even with George and Claire inside there with them.

But Amelia had been watching over them. Even though no one had been looking after her. Ben had asked him that question. She had told him afterward she hadn't needed it. She could handle herself…but he had thanked her and slid his arms around her holding her close.

Now she and Claire were looking after Ben and George and the other children.

"Ethan…."

He glanced over at Dakota who walked in with John Taylor. They were all standing next to the hotel. Buck had been serious, Ethan knew that. Now that he was cornered he'd be more desperate like his cousins.

"What next?"

"Got to think of something."

"Hell of a way to spend a Valentine's Day…"

That went without saying. He'd had all kinds of plans but then this band of outlaws had shown up.

"We're going to get them out of there."

Dakota nodded grimly.

"You said that the cousins were killed by you, Amelia and John Taylor right?"

"Yeah…We had the federal marshals outside but they showed up right when they tried to leave taking Amelia with them."

He remembered when the outlaws had tried to reengage on the deal by using her as a hostage to keep from being followed closely. The arrival of the reinforcements had pushed them back in the hotel.

"We don't have those men this time."

Ethan shook his head. But they might not need them.

"Doesn't mean we can't come up with another plan," he said, "They must be getting tired."

Charlie and Clancy joined up with them.

"I think we can try to find another weak spot," Ethan said, "How many left?"

"Maybe two, three…," Charlie said, "We're getting some complaining from the merchants led by Axelrod."

Big shock there, Ethan thought, he'd hoped the man and his followers had learned by now that they had to trust the town marshal. The whole town had been torn apart more than once by division back during the hotel siege and then last year.

It'd been the merchants versus Bella and the women who'd come with her, the ones who were now a fixture in the town.

"You're going to have to tell them to calm down," Ethan told Clancy, "and let us take care of this."

He knew that was easier said than done, remembering the time that the other outlaws had taken Amelia to the bank to relieve it of most of its assets. He'd gone with them to make sure nothing happened to her when they were all stopped by Axelrod and the other bank customers.

He almost thought he might have to shoot some of them but it hadn't happened. Not that things hadn't gotten tense especially when they'd tied up Ben so he wouldn't spill their own plans to burn out the hotel and those inside of it to Ethan. What could possess anyone to behave that way when women and children were involved?

Especially his woman and children. No, he had to find a way to get them all out of there.

* * *

"They're quieting down again…."

Claire returned to where Amelia sat trying to get her thoughts together. She knew that they wouldn't stay settled for long. Buck had grown more and more agitated and he only had two men left.

"I wonder what Uncle Ethan and the others are doing."

Amelia sighed.

"Trying to figure a way out for us," she said, "but they need our help Claire. We have to come up with a plan of our own."

"Like what?"

Amelia looked over at Buck.

"I'll think of something…and quick."


	25. Chapter 25

She remembered that Valentine's Day not so long ago when he'd saved her life. It'd been the start of something between them that hadn't been a love affair by any means, not at first but a tentative friendship between two very different people.

Now they were married and had a child on the way to add to their already good-sized family. She thought of that as the fatigue of the hours spent wondering if they'd live or die inside the schoolhouse.

No, no one was going to die any more than they did inside the hotel when she'd been entrusted by Ethan to look after Claire and George and Scotty and Mary's baby. A pack of outlaws kin to Buck and the others were holding them at gunpoint inside and the town at bay outside.

She did what she had to do to survive, to make sure the rest of the hostages did too because the outlaws had taken interest in her in ways that only partly had to do with a bank filled with money and precious metals.

Her skin felt clammy even now as she remembered the hands that had grabbed it, fondled it to try to take from her…but she'd known how to keep them at bay. Outlaws had been a part of her life after all in ways different from that of her husband the town marshal.

"Amelia I think that Buck's going to do something crazy."

Ella who'd been quiet most of the time, content to comfort the smallest children spoke up now and both Claire and Amelia looked at her.

"It's going to be just fine," Amelia said, "We have to trust the men."

Amelia did particularly her husband in different ways some highly personal but he'd always been there when she'd needed him. Not that it'd been easy…she'd been so difficult herself when he tried to understand why she put up so many walls between them.

He'd taken every single one down in that manner of his that could disarm any woman.

"I want to…it's just that I'm scared and I don't know how to keep the children from knowing it."

Amelia smiled.

"You're doing just fine Ella," she said, "It shouldn't be much longer."

"What about you? I mean you're the one who's expecting…can't be easy."

Amelia sighed.

"I'm just fine…we're all going to be fine."

She felt more nervous than she let on but she knew she had to be calm. If she showed fear, the others might as well including the children and that could push Buck off his delicate edge. Everything had to be done carefully…she thought as she watched him pace with his hand on his holster. She knew his eye was on the action outside and she worried about her husband and the other men.

"I don't know how you hold it together…"

"If I didn't what good would it do? I've been scared Ella…really scared but it just doesn't help you free yourself from what makes you afraid. Love does that."

"I just wish I could be so sure we're getting out of here."

Amelia reached over to touch her hand looking her in the face.

"We will get out of here," she said, "You'll see."

* * *

Ethan grabbed some coffee while John Taylor joined him near the bar. He'd been running on empty since the adrenalin wore off from the shootout. Charlie and Dakota and the others went to go stock on the food left over from the party.

"It'll be getting dark soon."

It'd only been hours since this siege began but it felt like days.

"Might help your tactics," John Taylor said, "easier to hide."

Ethan sat down and nursed his coffee.

"I got to get them out of there…and soon. Buck's likely to lose it soon and take it out on the hostages."

"You've got him wound up but that's not a bad thing," John Taylor said, "I think it might work to your advantage like it did in the hotel."

"Amelia mostly wound them up there," Ethan said, "turned them all against each other…which could have gotten her killed."

"It didn't and she's smart and tough," John Taylor, "Nice to see that marrying you hasn't changed that."

Ethan had to smile a little at that because his friend was right. Marriage had changed him a lot more than he'd expected in a short time. It'd happened quickly enough when he'd found out that she was with child on Christmas Eve after they were apart so long and before the brand new year started, she was his wife.

"I know but it's still dangerous in there. I don't know what's going on with her and the rest of them."

John Taylor leaned forward.

"You know she's taking care of the children with Claire helping her," he said, "and Ella."

Ethan worried about the children but he knew they were well cared for and they were resilient enough to do what they were told.

"I know…I just got to get them all out of there before I run out of time."

John Taylor couldn't argue with that. He'd been in the hotel too, treating a gunshot wound suffered by one of the outlaws one he wound up killing to stop him from shooting Ethan. Amelia had shot one of the others who'd tried to shoot him in the back.

Dakota walked over to them.

"You got a plan boss?"

Ethan looked up at him.

"I think so…I want to bring this to an end."

They both headed away from the table while John Taylor watched.

* * *

Amelia looked over at Buck who just looked too agitated. He'd gone on about her wayward husband, the one who was actually her ex. She didn't want him to figure out that she was married to the marshal who had him cornered in the schoolhouse.

Claire went to check on the boys and returned.

"They're telling the others stories…very quietly," she said, "though it's been hard for the students to understand what's happening."

Amelia imagined so. But if they could hold on for a while longer…

Buck came over and reached for Amelia.

"I need you to come with me," he said, "to give me more bargaining power."

She didn't fight, she just nodded as they went to the window. She looked out and saw Dakota and Ethan leave the hotel to come outside.

The next round had just begun.


	26. Chapter 26

Buck had looked at her while the men waited outside the schoolhouse. He seemed not to notice them just right now. He seemed more intent on watching her carefully. She didn't know why, she'd felt his eyes while she felt more than tired and grimy. Her hair in loose curls and her back cramped from lack of comfortable sleep.

She felt okay otherwise and she knew that Claire and Ella had gotten very little sleep. The outlaws had napped with one or more of them keeping watch in shifts. But now with just two of them left, they didn't have that luxury. They'd be running on pure nerves just like their hostages.

"I haven't seen him yet."

She glanced up at him, her heart beating rapidly. Who did he mean…but then she remembered.

"My husband?"

Which had different meanings for the both of them. Buck nodded.

"He should be here caring what happens to his wife," he said, "Ready to fight for her if that's what it takes."

She took a deep breath exhaling it slowly.

"I don't know what it matters," she said, "I can handle myself. I don't need him around."

He sat near her on one of the desks.

"Every woman needs a man around her to take care of her and keep her out of trouble."

She forced a smile on her face.

"I'm different then," she said, "When my husband isn't around, I can do what I want to do."

Buck just shook his head.

"Foolish of him," he said, "He shows up, I'm going to have to teach him a lesson then."

"He won't show up. He's coward."

She knew she had to keep talking which meant dredging up her past. Remembering what it had been like with Pierce when it'd stopped being idyllic and wonderful. She'd been able to escape her life when she'd gotten married very young to him.

"He should have gotten you with child."

She narrowed her eyes.

"What…why would you say that?"

He grinned at her.

"Because that's what women are meant to do. To bear children and take care of them. Not much need for them outside of that…except for fun occasionally."

She could only imagine that. She hadn't gotten to that point with Pierce and that had turned out to be a blessing. He couldn't have ever handled raising a child…that would have been competition with him for her attention. Often he acted like one himself.

As for the child that grew inside her, he didn't need to know about that.

* * *

Ethan looked over at Dakota and nodded at Clancy and Lukas who stood further away. He had a plan in his head that he'd briefed them on in the hotel and he wanted to put it into action.

"You think it'll work?"

He looked at Dakota.

"It'll have to…Buck's going to get more desperate," he said, "and it's time to bring this to an end."

Dakota nodded and went to his vantage point leaving Ethan with his thoughts. He could rehearse any plan of action inside his head until he was able to perform automatically.

He could see the window into the schoolhouse where he knew Amelia and Claire sat with what was left of Buck and his gang, trying to protect the children. He didn't know what had happened to them only that they were still alive. He had to make sure it stayed that way and that meant rescuing them and Ben and George and everyone else

Amelia had been through this before with Buck's cousins two years earlier when he felt like he didn't know her that well. She'd skillfully played the brothers off of each other at great risk to herself. What she'd been through he found out piecemeal from others including Claire because Amelia wouldn't talk about it herself.

When he'd asked, she'd just told him not to worry about it, everyone was safe now and life had returned to normal. He'd seen some of her steely determination not to look afraid when he'd walked with her and several of the outlaws to rob the bank. Her first, she told them drolly as she was piling cash and copper bars into sacks to take back to the hotel. Even when Axelrod, Amos and the other bank customers had tried to block their way.

She'd stood here holding it all together even while everyone argued and held guns on each other around her. He knew that she'd do the same thing now.

* * *

Buck got up and started pacing again while Amelia watched him carefully, a hand resting on her abdomen. She knew he was near the edge of doing something desperate and she didn't want to cost any lives. She didn't have to look out the window to know that Ethan was there outside getting ready to go after Buck and his gang again.

He wouldn't stop after all until the siege was over and they were all safe.

Buck knew that too and he kept close to the window and kept his eye on her. She thought of what would be happening if Buck and his gang hadn't rudely interrupted their lives. The students would be having fun at the party and she and Ethan…they'd spend time with their friends before spending time alone together.

Just the two of them…which she'd looked forward to because since the wedding, their life had been hectic raising the children while awaiting the arrival of another one.

She couldn't wait until the day arrived when their family would grow and she and Ethan would become parents in a different way. She felt nervous of course not knowing what to expect but she felt excited too and she knew that Ethan felt the same way. He talked about it a lot.

But right now Buck stood in the way of all of their dreams and their future together and she knew she could never let that happen. She knew she needed to protect her family and ensure that they all survived.

She knew they had to come up with a plan of her own.


	27. Chapter 27

Ethan remembered the last time he'd faced off with Buck's cousins at the hotel rather than the schoolhouse.

Amelia and two of the children, Claire and George were stuck inside there with little Huckleberry…at the mercy of a band of train robbing outlaws who'd killed people including women and children. Most of the hostages inside fell in those groups.

Men without honor and mercy. He'd been feeling like ice cold deep inside of him when the wires came back from other cities and towns about the backgrounds of this band of brothers. Murderers, kidnappers and robbers among other things. He'd been telling Dakota what had happened that day and night because it was before his time in Paradise.

The town had split up between those who had money in the bank that Amelia was forced to rob at gunpoint and Ethan who only thought of the people held hostage inside. It'd gotten pretty brutal with the businessmen talking about driving him out of town and even grabbed Ben and tied him up when he'd overheard their plans.

But if a town had been divided, so had the brothers inside the building as Claire explained to him.

"Divide and conquer, that's what Mrs. Lawson said so we did it," she said, in a matter of fact way.

Amelia had deftly been able to slowly turn the brothers against each other and nearly had them at each other's throats. Another facet of a woman who'd been a mystery to him at the time…not that it mattered. If it hadn't been for her, Claire, George and the other hostages might not have made it.

She saved his life too by taking out one of the outlaws who tried to shoot him in the back, with a single shot.

He'd walked up to her afterward as they left the hotel so happy to be out of there. She'd felt exhausted and depleted at that point after the outlaws had singled her out for bad treatment. When he'd opened his arms to her she slipped inside them, hugging him back for a long moment.

Three of the outlaws had died from bullets fired by him, Amelia and also John Taylor who'd been forced to kill his own patient. It looked like Buck and his band had found out about that and had come back for revenge.

One man had survived and gone to trial…but Ethan didn't know the outcome, whether he'd been hung or thrown in prison for life. But it didn't seem that Buck knew who the identities of anyone except him.

That meant that Amelia might be safe for now…until he'd figured out her role in the hostage saga. Knowing her, she'd be playing along with him, keeping him from finding out anything about her and doing her best along with Claire and Ella to keep the children quiet and safe.

No one had died so far who hadn't been an outlaw. Ethan wanted to keep it that way. His wife, children meant everything to him, they'd changed his life in a different ways. He'd never thought he'd been in the position of rearing children in a household or meeting a woman he'd marry.

Certainly not Amelia who'd never seemed to approve of him or what he did for a living until the children came into his life and started changing him.

But it'd been a difficult road for him and Amelia…having to spend time apart before reuniting. Then they'd worked together to help a young woman reunite with her father, an adventure which had brought them back together as well.

"You think there's any chance Buck will just end it?"

Ethan looked over at Dakota who stood nearby.

"No…the more time passes, the more desperate he'll get," he said, "He's out to avenge his cousins' death and he won't stop…even after nearly getting killed."

Dakota sighed.

"Thought we got him…at least one less of them to worry about."

"Still leaves enough of them left. We've got to end this before he starts killing people."

Dakota looked back at the schoolhouse.

"They'll just have to sit tight until we can get inside…"

Ethan didn't think his wife would wait. No doubt she'd come up with her own plan as always to protect the children. Just like she'd shielded George from a bullet fired by his own gun and like she'd taken care of them without being asked.

He knew that was what she did right now. He trusted her to keep them safe until they were all together again. But Ben had asked him last time, who'd take care of her and he hadn't been able to answer. It'd worried him back then because he'd gotten to know her. He'd even had kissed her a couple of times…and had never tasted anything sweeter.

Every minute counted.

Amelia sat back thinking quickly on how to figure out how to get the children out of there. She knew that it'd gone on too long for them already and that soon enough, they'd grow restless again and rile Buck up.

She couldn't risk him wanting to harm them.

So she had to find a way to get them released…and there was only way to do that. She'd have to tell him who she was…one of those who had killed his cousins. Then maybe he'd hold onto her and release the children…including Claire and the boys.

It'd elevate her own danger but with each passing minute, it seemed as if the situation were getting more dangerous anyway.

"Claire I've got a plan and I need you to go along with me no matter what."

The young girl bit her lip.

"Okay…what is it? How can I help?"

Ella chimed in.

"Me too. The children are getting antsy. We need to do something."

Amelia paused.

"I'm going to have to tell Buck who I am…including that I killed one of his cousins."

Claire shook her head, looking aghast.

"No Amelia…you can't…he'll kill you for sure…and the baby…"

Amelia stemmed back her own tide of emotions. She had to think logically and not feel anything right now.

"It's the only way. He's got to let the children go Claire…or he might hurt them."

Claire and Ella looked at each other.

"We can keep them quiet…"

Amelia sighed.

"If he knows about me, it might be enough to let the rest of you go," she said, "and just hold onto me."

Claire didn't like it at all but there was nothing else that could be done. If Ethan and the other men stormed the schoolhouse, the children might not be able to take cover fast enough if a gunfight broke out.

"Amelia…it's too dangerous."

"I'm sorry Claire but I think it's the only way."

"Uncle Ethan won't like it."

"He's out there. Trying to free us," she said, "We're in here and we have to help him…okay?"

Finally Claire nodded slowly.


	28. Chapter 28

When time came to act, Amelia did and she rushed Buck when he'd tried to take a shot at her husband. She'd been victimized enough by men in her life and she wasn't going to let this one get the better of her.

She'd told him that she'd killed his cousin after drawing him into the cloak room and he hadn't taken the news well. But she'd managed to keep him diverted so that Ella and Claire could try to get the children out a window.

Breaking the stain glass hadn't been painless since Claire knew all too well the efforts and sacrifices that went into getting it installed but they had to make sure the children were safe. Dakota and Clancy along with Lukas dashed over to help.

"Claire don't worry," Lukas said, "It's going to be just fine."

She smiled back at him. She'd always figured he was brave but to see him in action, it stirred her inside and she motioned for Ella to bring more children including Ben and George.

They protested wanting to stay with her but she said that Uncle Ethan needed their help outside and they finally agreed as long as Jenny went first.

Claire worried about Amelia in the other room. But she remembered what she'd been told and she climbed out the window when the rest of the children had fled to the hotel along with Ella.

Ethan looked up at her.

"Where's Amelia?"

Claire sighed.

"She's in there with the leader," she said, "I think she told him the truth."

Ethan's eyes widened.

"Why did she do that?"

"She wanted us to get out," she said, "So she had him go into the cloak room with her so we could escape. The other robber with Buck just disappeared."

That didn't surprise Ethan. But now he and the other men had to figure out how to get in there and get his wife out of there before…he didn't even want to imagine.

"You go back to the hotel with the boys…"

"But…"

He gestured to Lukas who stood nearby.

"Go take Claire back to the hotel. There's food waiting there for the children."

Lukas nodded and Claire gave one look at her uncle before leaving him.

"Just make sure Aunt Amelia's all right okay?"

He nodded and watched as the two of them left. He walked over to Clancy and Dakota to try to rethink their strategy for taking down the last robber who was holed up with his wife.

* * *

Amelia folded her arms looking at Buck.

"So now you know…I killed one of your cousins," she said, "because he was going to shoot Ethan Cord in the back."

"Sounds like Langston," Buck said, nodding, "Hot headed and a coward."

Amelia remembered him as being more than a bit crazy and having to hold him off at one point with a knife in the kitchen. She hadn't mourned his death.

"He could have used some manners."

Buck just stared at her.

"So you killed him to protect the marshal?"

She nodded.

"I was there with the children," she said, "I had to look out for them, protect them from harm. Your cousins had just killed children on a train they held up near Reno."

"I know that…they messed that job up," Buck said, "Didn't plan it very well like I told them to do."

She noticed that he didn't seem too surprised that they'd met their end and so far he hadn't expressed anything like rage for her actions.

"Langston's bordering on crazy," Buck said, "but he didn't have to die. They could have taken him into custody."

She put a hand on her hip.

"They were going to hang them anyway including him," she said, "So he died earlier in a gunfight rather than at the end of a rope."

He shook his head.

"It's for the law to decide not you."

She felt ire fill her.

"When a bunch of grown men threaten young children including a baby," she said, "That's when I make it my business."

He snarled.

"You're acting like you're proud of what you did."

She shook her head at him.

"I'm not but I wasn't about to let any harm happen to anyone. People's lives were at stake because of how they acted and I'm not apologizing for doing what I had to do to protect them."

"You protected the marshal when you shot Langston."

She paused.

"Why yes I did…because he was there to help us."

He pursed his lips.

"It doesn't go any deeper than that?"

She looked directly at him.

"It's what I had to do for the children."

He started pacing around the cramped cloakroom while she watched. She eyed him carefully looking for any signs of vulnerabilities or weaknesses. Anything to help her escape and to stop him from harming anyone else.

But he didn't show any.

* * *

Ethan paced himself inside the hotel with Dakota. The children were safe and Claire had herded them to the food table where they ate, none the worse for their experience. Ben made sure that Jenny's tray was full while George helped with the younger children.

His whole family there except for his wife who remained inside with the gunman. He'd barely remembered it was Valentine's Day a holiday he'd wished to celebrate with her back at the house after the town party.

It'd been a wonderful marriage so far with a baby on the way. His first child and if Lucy were alive…her first niece or nephew. Taking care of her children and raising them had brought him closer to her even though she was dead.

"She's going to be safe Uncle Ethan," Claire said, "She has to be. She made sure we all got out of there in time."

He knew his wife wouldn't rest until she'd gotten the rest of them out of the schoolhouse no matter what. Now they had to figure out a way to get her out of there.

Dakota shook his head.

"We've got to come up with a much better plan," he said, "and we'll need more men."

"I know…John Taylor's going to get more ranchers…"

"You won't need them Ethan…"

He looked up and saw Bella Rogers standing in front of him.


	29. Chapter 29

Bella looked at Ethan as she approached him.

"I'm here to help you," she said, "and the children are all safe now."

He nodded.

"That still leaves Amelia," he said, "and Buck knows she shot one of his cousins."

Bella pursed her lips.

"Then it's time to take him out of it," she said, "I know you know how to do it Ethan. I've seen it."

"I can't let anything happen to her," he said, "Buck is desperate now being the only one left. I remember what happened in the hotel."

Bella sighed.

"Amelia was left to try to turn them all against each other," she said, "to exploit their animosities they brought with them, the frayed threads bonding them together."

"By the time I went in there to try to get them to surrender, she'd done most of the damage."

He couldn't hide the admiration in his voice for his wife. Amelia had always been intelligent but she'd been cunning as well. Her life and the challenges it brought her taught her to be that way.

"She's a survival Ethan," Bella said, "After all that her husband put her through…leaving her like that especially after what happened."

Ethan knew what she meant. Even though Pierce had saved his life once, there were still some things he did that couldn't easily be forgiven.

"Amelia told me what happened that day," he said, "I found her ill in the street."

Bella tilted her face.

"She must have trusted you. It's not something a woman usually talks about when it happens," she said, "It's a very private matter."

"She told you…"

"Yes but only because I had the same thing happen," Bella said, "Oh it wasn't a husband. It was a short affair where we both left each other. We were so different. Even so when I lost it, I didn't know how to deal with it."

"Amelia thanked me for helping her that day," he said, "but only recently did she tell me the whole story."

They'd been together in every way by then. Reunited after too long apart from one another. When she had told him, he drew her in his arms close to his chest. She snuggled against him accepting his comfort, as they lay together.

Just like she'd held him when he relived painful moments of his own upbringing. She had always been there for him even before they'd fallen in love, the engagement. They'd been friends but deeper than that because he trusted her with not only his life but his memories…something he'd not shared with anyone else. But with her, it came naturally.

It took her a bit longer to trust him back.

"We'll come up with a plan," Bella said, "After all, she made sure that the children would be safe."

Claire and Lukas walked up to them.

"So what's going to happen next Uncle Ethan?"

He looked at his niece whose face looked troubled. Lukas stood next to her.

"I don't know…Lukas I'm going to need your help when we decide what to do."

The young man nodded.

"Claire, I need you to help with the boys," Ethan said, "and the other children. They've been through a lot."

"I know…Ella and I have been telling them stories after they ate some food."

Bella smiled at her.

"You make a great teacher Claire," she said, "They look up to you."

Claire still looked troubled.

"I just am worried about Aunt Amelia," she said, "Buck is very angry at you for what happened to his cousins. He'll try to hurt you."

"He won't do it Claire. We're going to get Amelia back. We just need a new plan."

She nodded and went back to tend to the children while Lukas remained with Ethan and Bella.

"I'll do whatever it takes Mr. Cord. He must be getting tired after all this time."

Ethan knew that but he knew that might make Buck more dangerous by sending him closer to the edge. He just wanted to get in there and get his wife out quickly.

But he knew he was running out of time.

* * *

Amelia sat there watching as Buck paced the room. He'd been doing that for a while now. She knew that he was like a powder keg of dynamite itching to go off.

"That marshal's going to try to rush the building and kill me," he said, "I knew it when I first saw him. He'll have no mercy."

"He's just doing his job. He's entrusted to protect the people of this town."

"It won't matter. He charges in here. I'll kill you and him before he gets me."

She shook her head.

"I don't know why you think you'll have a chance," she said, "Ethan will shoot you before you draw your gun."

Buck scowled.

"So you say but I'm pretty fast myself."

"Killing him and me won't do anything but get you killed too," she said, "What will that accomplish?"

Buck stopped pacing and looked at her.

"If I'm going to die, I'm not going alone. I'm going to take you and him with me."

She looked down at her hands trying to stop them from shaking. His words scared her, the hours that have passed had been rough. Not to mention she had another life to protect. It'd been hard the past several years for her…for Ethan and they'd survived a lot to find their way back to each other.

"I don't plan on dying," she said, "if you're that much of a coward to shoot a woman."

He chuckled harshly.

"You shot my cousin in the back," he said, "that hardly makes you a helpless woman."

"I told you it was to protect the man who was trying to help us."

He eyed her carefully.

"You mean the marshal. What is he to you anyway? You seem to hold him in more regard than your husband."

She smiled trying to be more casual than she felt.

"That's because he's a better man than my no good husband."

Buck grimaced.

"You sound like he means more to you than that…you doing something your husband doesn't know about with the marshal?"

Amelia put a shocked look on her face.

"How can you suggest such a thing? I'm a lady after all and while my husband's a cad, I don't have my eyes elsewhere."

He chuckled.

"You sound like you're upset by what I said."

"I'm upset about not being able to leave," she said, "That you've threatened to kill me along with the marshal. I'm not ready to die…"

He sighed.

"It's not personal lady…if I can't get out alive, neither can you. They set me free, I can think about it."

Amelia knew that'd never happen and so did he. Just meaningless words. She knew that she had to do whatever it took to help Ethan get her away from Buck.

She trusted that he had a plan. She'd keep her eyes open, play along with Buck and wait for the time to act.


	30. Chapter 30

The shots broke out soon enough and Amelia knew it was time to try to get away. Buck had seen Ethan and Dakota trying to creep back up to the schoolhouse closer to the doorway next to the cloak room.

"That damn marshal's not taking me out…"

He tried to grab her and she pushed him away from her.

"Don't you be trying to run away now…I got plans for you."

She gritted her teeth. She had plans too and they involved living to see her husband again, to feel his arms around her and to be back at home with him raising their family.

Live to see their baby born, opening its eyes to look at its parents.

Life had been damn hard getting to this point and she had no intention to surrender that away to anyone. She'd fought her way back from some terrible things and Ethan had been there right with her. Now he was outside risking his life to save hers and she had to help him. She couldn't let Buck shoot him dead.

The man who'd never let her down unlike her first husband who'd made her swear off marriage forever. Only it'd been less than that when Ethan had proposed to her the second time…some months beyond the year anniversary of their first engagement. Time and its challenges had made them both wiser.

It had made her love him even more if that were possible.

"Stand back from the window."

When she didn't obey him, he pushed her and took his own gun to start shooting at Ethan and his deputies who fired back.

No one could outshoot her husband and Dakota was nearly as good a shot by now. She knew that they took plenty of cover, being both highly skilled gunfighters. She'd have to hang tight and do whatever she could to help them.

She had fallen on the floor and lay there, the gun shots peppering the air as she tried to figure out whether or not the men outside were still firing.

"You better not move…might have to use you to get past them…or if they need a target."

She felt chilled then. She wanted to get out alive and she had her baby to protect inside of her. The malaise had nearly faded and she knew soon she'd feel other signs of the life growing inside of her. Gunshots continued and she ducked her head in case any pierced the wall of the building.

Buck looked down on her.

"You might be worth taking with me for sure," he said, "My insurance and who knows? Maybe I can sell you down the road."

She froze when she heard that. No, she couldn't let him use her to try to get the upper hand on the men outside.

But she trusted that Ethan knew what he needed to do.

* * *

Claire sighed as she poured some more punch for the boys who'd come for some to take back to Jenny in the other room. Some of the children had napped in the room, exhausted from their ordeal. Their parents remaining in the building to help out while the siege continued.

She looked over at Charles who'd been telling some tales earlier about how he'd grown up in another town and his trip to Paradise on the train to live with his uncle Axelrod. He knew how to spin a story and even John Taylor had admired his skill. Now they were helping to bring more of the dishes into the kitchen where Mary and other women including Rosie were cleaning up. Some of the families from the ranches would be staying overnight in the hotel unable to use the road out of town while Ethan and the other men were using it to try to take out Buck and rescue Amelia.

"So what do you think Claire? You think they'll get him to surrender?"

She remembered back to the siege in the hotel over a year ago. It'd been hopeless to get the outlaws to surrender then. They were all willing to die rather than be rounded up to be hung at the ends of ropes. Amelia had somehow let Ethan know by just looking at him that she had a gun in her pocket.

Immediately after that, he'd started shooting and between he, Amelia and John Taylor, they'd overthrown the outlaws before the federal marshals stormed the building. But she hoped that Buck would just surrender rather than die or put Amelia's life at risk.

"I hope so Charles…she and the baby need to be safe."

He shook his head as they both thought how this day had started as one of celebrating love…she'd even had a secret admirer and had become an ongoing crisis.

"We'd still be in there if it weren't for her," Claire said, "She made sure we were out of there…before the shooting started."

"They'll make sure nothing happens Claire. These men…your uncle…they're the best. This outlaw would be a fool to fight them."

"He doesn't care. He just doesn't want to get caught. That makes him dangerous. I've seen men like that and they don't care who they hurt or kill…even children."

She finished pouring the drinks and took them back into the other room.

* * *

Ethan surveyed the scene when the gunshots stopped. He figured that Buck was reloading to keep shooting at them, clearly believing he had nothing left to lose.

Bella loaded up her own gun. She could shoot as good as most men.

"Amelia's probably hit the floor," she said, "So I imagine she's safe for now."

"Not safe enough…I'm thinking he's getting more desperate."

She sighed.

"We'll have to make sure he runs out of ammo."

Ethan reloaded his own gun and tried to see through the hazy smoke to the window where Buck had been firing from. He didn't see anyone there.

Then he heard several gunshots from inside the building, in succession. His heart nearly stopped. Had Buck grown so desperate he'd shot Amelia? Or had she gotten the gun somehow and shot in self-defense?

Silence fell over the air as everyone waited but nothing happened to break it. Ethan knew he'd have to go inside the schoolhouse.

His heart slamming inside his chest at all the possibilities that awaited him there.


	31. Chapter 31

Ethan's heart filled his throat, his heart beat inside his head. Time had stood still and he felt like he was moving in slow motion.

God, he had to reach her. Run up the stairs of the schoolhouse and find her. He'd heard the shots rip the air and prayed his wife hadn't been hit. What would he do if he lost her? If Buck's revenge had been to tear Amelia away from him?

There was silence inside the schoolhouse save for the sound of his own boots on the wooden planks. Dakota one step behind him.

"Amelia…"

He spotted her in the coat room lying on the ground next to Buck who also lay there. Blood pooled around him and he seemed dead. Shot in the chest by a gun

Amelia opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Ethan…"

He knelt beside her.

"What is it? Are you okay?"

She put her hand on her abdomen. He looked at her worriedly.

"I think so…."

He tried to help her up though she felt weak. She stood up on her feet and walked away from Buck without looking on him.

"Let's go…"

She nodded and he slid his arm around her as they walked out of the schoolhouse while Dakota and Charlie went to deal with the dead body.

They both walked into the hotel and saw Claire there with the children. Jenny and Ben were getting some punch while Mary brought in more food. Ethan looked at his wife.

"Are you hungry?"

She considered that and nodded.

"I'll take some of the stew."

He got her some and she took some bites out of it feeling her appetite return in a rush. They went to sit at the table.

Charlie walked inside the room.

"He's going to the ice house," he said, "The wagon will pick him up tomorrow along with the others. Next of kin will get them at Virginia City."

Ethan sighed.

"They might all be dead," he said, "Their kin was the gang at the hotel."

Amelia looked at both men.

"He and his brothers were trying to avenge their deaths," she said, "Buck talked about that a lot."

"Millie can put a wire out," Ethan said, "to the different cities."

She shook her head.

"All this waste…from killing…"

"I know but it's over…"

She knew that and now she started feeling tired. The food had sated her and she leaned against him. He stroked her arm with his own.

"I'm so glad it's over," she said, "I'm not sure I'd ever see you again."

He stroked her hair and kissed her on the mouth.

"I never doubted it…"

She smiled at him and he helped her up. They faced each other and he placed a hand on her abdomen.

"How's our baby?"

Her smile widened.

"Just fine…"

"Then let's go home…"

The children were staying with Scotty and Mary in the hotel so that Amelia and Ethan could spend Valentine's Day alone together.

They headed on to her house planning to make the most of it.


End file.
